SAC strongly condemns the escalating violence against the Asian community, most recently manifested by the recent mass shooting in Atlanta. To our Asian colleagues, members, associates and friends and your families, we stand beside you in your grief, and we mourn your losses alongside you. We stand in solidarity with you and share a deep concern for the recent events, your safety and your well-being and that of your families in your communities.

SAC calls on our provincial and federal governments to reflect on their roles in addressing racist words and actions. We call on members, students and colleagues to reflect on the consequences of racist and bigoted behaviour as well as the real-world consequences for innocent people.

We call on our SAC community to:

• Report all incidents of anti-Asian violence to authorities.
• Provide Safe Spaces: Allow Asian Canadian friends and colleagues to share their experiences and listen to what they have to say.
• Educate yourself and others: The most effective way to eliminate racism in all its forms is to educate yourself and those around you about other racialized people, their cultures and how racism manifests itself.

Read the full statement on our diversity page.

On July 9, SAC S-LP member Nausheen Khan was interviewed on 770 CHQR about funding changes in Alberta’s education system and their impact on speech-language pathology services in schools. Throughout the interview, Nausheen and the radio show host discussed the effects budget cuts have on children with speech and language difficulties. 

The funding cuts are extensive, severe and abrupt. With a limited number of S-LPs in schools, children with speech and language difficulties will not be properly identified. As well, children will not make progress without ongoing speech-language pathology interventions of sufficient frequency and intensity. 

In the interview, Nausheen explained: “When you go from a department with 25 S-LPs down to four, there’s going to be a lot of work that’s just not going to happen… There are windows of opportunities when children are young that are very important, and the impact you have when you put supports in place at that age can save children.” 

To listen to the full interview, visit this website.