Advocacy
SAC serves as a strong, unified voice for communication health professionals across Canada. As a national organization, SAC works to raise the profile of the professions and advocate on behalf of our members and associates. We address key issues that affect communication health and promote equitable access to service for all Canadians.
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is the act of supporting, promoting, or recommending a cause, policy, or idea to bring about change. It involves raising awareness, sharing professional insights, and influencing decision-makers to improve conditions, protect rights, or increase access to services.
At SAC, our national mandate means ensures that the voices of S-LPs, audiologists, and communication health assistants are heard across Canada. Our federal advocacy priorities focus on issues that matter most to our members and fall within federal jurisdiction.
What is government relations?
Government relations is a form of advocacy that involves engaging with government officials to influence public policy, legislation, and regulation. Through our government relations work, SAC collaborates with all political parties and levels of government to ensure that the perspectives of our members and associates are represented in key health and education policy discussions.
Advocacy Highlights
Federal Advocacy Toolkit
As part of our advocacy work, SAC develops evidence-based resources and campaigns that target stakeholders on our key advocacy priorities.
Federal Advocacy Priorities
SAC is calling for urgent action to strengthen Canada’s communication health workforce and improve access to care in pursuit of communication, safety and care for every Canadian.
To see the provincial priorities, view our provincial advocacy pages.
Safe and Equitable Medical Device Access
There needs to be action to ensure better health outcomes for people in Canada with hearing, speech, language, swallowing, and dizziness. This work includes ensuring access to safe, innovative, and appropriate medical devices for use by S-LPs, audiologists, and communication health assistants for assessment and treatment, and ensuring greater public access to these devices, such as over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids.
Related Initiatives
2026
Health Human Resources
Canada’s communication health workforce faces significant pressures that limit access to care for Canadians. High workloads, limited resources, and burnout threaten S-LPs’, audiologists’, and CHAs’ ability to provide essential care to meet growing needs.
Related Initiatives
2026
Infant and Child Health — Early Detection and Intervention
Hearing and communication are critical to a child’s development. Even minor impairment can have cascading effects on learning, socialization, and long-term well-being. Early detection and intervention are essential to prevent challenges in the early school years, which can lead to lasting educational, employment, and economic disadvantages.
Related Initiatives
2025
2024
Access to Care in Indigenous and Remote Communities (Virtual Care)
As Canada invests in new health care delivery infrastructure, SAC is calling on policymakers to design with connection and safety in mind. This means consulting with S-LPs, audiologists and CHAs to ensure environments support those who cannot hear, speak, or swallow effectively. In Indigenous and remote communities, S-LPs and audiologists contribute not only to communication health but also to language revitalization and the preservation of Indigenous communication traditions. Yet access to these services remains limited in many regions.
Related Initiatives
2026
2025
Advocacy News
Events
Advocacy Champions
Strategic Partners
With more than 7,000 members across the country, our numbers do the talking. But sometimes, when the issues are really big, it helps to join forces with like-minded organizations.
SAC belongs to several coalitions, which work to improve quality and access to health care in Canada. Below, you’ll find a list of some of the groups we’re affiliated with along with information about their mandates and membership.
Help Us Build a Strong Case for Advocacy
When SAC meets with decision-makers, stories and on-the-ground insights from our members carry a lot of weight. We’re collecting input to strengthen our upcoming briefs, presentations, and media outreach.