Aphasia Advocacy, Health Equity, and Diversity in Speech-Language Pathology

Send us Fan MailBlack stroke survivors are more likely to develop aphasia, less likely to receive equitable care, and nearly invisible in the research that is supposed to help them. Angie Cauthorn and Dr. Seles go deep on health equity in speech-language pathology. The disparities in diagnosis, treatment access, and clinical representation that shape outcomes for underserved communities. Dr. Seles addresses what the research says about race, aphasia severity, and systemic bias in neurorehabilitation. For SLPs, researchers, and survivors who have felt the gap first hand  his episode names what most clinical settings will not.https://aphasiaadvocates.com/ for Brain Friends Merchhttps://aphasia.org/event/ask-the-expert-february-2026/https://www.cognitiverecoverylab.com/seleshttps://aphasia.org/stories/announcing-the-davetrina-seles-gadson-health-equity-grant-program/Our beloved colleague, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, passed away January 11, 2025. Dr. Gadson was an extraordinary speech-language pathologist and neuroscience researcher who devoted her energy to studying health disparities in aphasia recovery. She was a fierce advocate for improving services for individuals with aphasia, particularly Black Americans. Her research transformed our understanding of these health disparities and shed light on how we can address them. We were privileged to have Dr. Gadson as a cherished member of our lab community for four years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as an Instructor of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was still a close collaborator and friend to many of us at the time of her passing. Dr. Gadson was an incredible person—compassionate, inspiring, and full of life. Her dedication to advancing equity in aphasia recovery and her profound impact on our community will never be forgotten. ...