With the continuing need for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and its increasing influence on many industries, social justice has found its way into the field of speech-language pathology. This field of medicine traditionally handles communication disorders, but through this new lens of DEI has enriched the field with increasing discussions and research on how speech-language pathology intersects with special education, disability rights and ablism, LGBTQ+ communities, and more. To help meet the need for ongoing research in this area, Prof. RaMonda Horton, from Midwestern University, USA, recently published
Critical Perspectives on Social Justice in Speech-Language Pathology (IGI Global).
Through the editor and contributor’s actions coupled with the need for research in this area, this title has been received with overwhelming success and has been integrated into 20+ institutions. Released in late summer of 2021, in just a few months, it is on track to become one of IGI Global’s most successful publications in the social sciences and humanities subject area. Through this success, the editor, and
authors, have:
- Expanded visibility and citation impact of the research.
- Increased their opportunity to be indexed by prestigious indices, including Web of Science and Scopus.
- Created new research collaborations and discussion on this area of research.
- Boosted the contributor’s standing within the field of research.
- And more.
Below, Dr. Horton shares details of what actions were completed to make her title a success and the importance of contributor collaboration. Additionally, she shares more information around her research and how it is a unique, niche subject including a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
 | Critical Perspectives on Social Justice in
Speech-Language Pathology | Prof. RaMonda Horton (Midwestern University, USA)
©2021 | 355 pgs. | EISBN: 9781799871361 | - Latest Research Findings of 20+ Researchers from Over
10+ Institutions - Features Over 10+ Chapters of Peer-Reviewed Research
- Covers Topics such as Black, Indigenous, and People of
Color (BIPOC) Communities, Communication Sciences and Disorders, & LGBTQ+ Community - Excellent Addition to Your Institution’s Library
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What does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mean to you?
Dr. Horton: DEI are concepts and areas of concern that I am very passionate about primarily because of how my own identity has impacted opportunities for my own educational and professional accomplishments. These concepts are often used interchangeably when they shouldn’t be. For me, diversity should be concerned with representation of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and ideological perspectives. Efforts to address equity should focus on ensuring that resources and support are allocated based on what is needed to eliminate disparate outcomes. Inclusion, to me, is about creating an environment where people, regardless of their background, feel welcomed and respected.
What inspired you to write Critical Perspectives on Social Justice in Speech-Language Pathology?
Dr. Horton: The book was inspired by my own educational and professional experiences as a first-generation college student, woman of color, and researcher/teacher in the field of speech-language pathology. As noted in the book, the discipline remains overwhelmingly white (93%) and has really struggled with developing research, teaching, and professional practices that explicitly discuss and consider how macro-level issues, such as racialized practices, ableism, classism, heteronormativity, and gendered assumptions impact what we deem to be important within our discipline and other health sciences. These macro-level issues guide scientific inquiry; how we study language, communication and culture; how different students learn and instructional practices used to facilitate learning; and what identity factors impact our interactions with clients that we serve and how those factors create different levels of access, opportunity, and experiences for those with disability that impact overall treatment outcomes. We were really invested in drawing attention to research and literature that focused on the examination and discussion of systemic and institutionalized forms of oppression that shape the educational and healthcare outcomes of individuals served by our profession.
What is your mission for Critical Perspectives on Social Justice in Speech-Language Pathology?
Dr. Horton: The mission for the book is to provide a referential framework for the type of scholarship that can help move the needle on how our discipline might begin to engage in more explicit and much needed discussion on the above topics. We hope that readers of this book would be inspired to engage and reflect on how speech-language pathology research, teaching, and practice can facilitate equitable outcomes for those from marginalized groups.
What was your plan for spreading word of your publication?
Dr. Horton: The original plan was to have each of the contributing authors share the flyer provided by Ms. Heckermann and IGI Global with their colleagues (word of mouth and e-mails), posting of the IGI Global flyer on list-serves of professional organizations, and engaging in an online event to launch the book.
You recently held a webinar for your title to bring awareness to your title. How did you go about planning and the webinar and receiving support for this unique title?
Dr. Horton: The idea for the webinar actually came from several of the chapter authors and editorial advisory board members who were just really excited about the content of the text. The webinar format ended up being an amalgamation of ideas from those individuals. Because this was an edited collection, we thought it was important that the contributing authors be participants and the majority of them were very supportive and excited about doing what became referred to as the “Meet the Authors” especially after seeing each other’s chapter. Once we were able to agree upon a date for the event, Dr. Maria Munoz (University of Redlands, USA) and Dr. Ben Munson (University of Minnesota, USA), who served on the editorial advisory board, agreed to host and facilitate the discussion. They created a digital advertisement for the event and shared it on their social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). Everyone who was interested in attending was asked to RSVP so that we would have appropriate hosting capabilities. Each of the participating authors were provided with an outline of the format for the webinar and the discussion questions.
How have your contributing authors supported you in this endeavor?
Dr. Horton: The contributing authors really believed in the purpose and mission of the book. The majority of the contributing authors were already engaging in work to address equity and justice, so I believe that from the very beginning, with the call for chapter proposals, they were all very excited about its potential impact. Many of them were also concerned that there was a huge literature gap in our field on justice and equity. So, for all of us, this was a novel opportunity to do something different.
The authors were so wonderful in committing their time to the book and getting the word out about the existence of the book. Many of them were frequently posting the digital advert for the book to their social media pages, tagging other contributing authors, and promoting their chapter, another author’s chapter, and the whole book.
How do you feel that IGI Global has supported your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related research?
Dr. Horton: I think that IGI Global has created a unique space for researchers who focus on topics of DEI. The IGI Global team has done a great job creating opportunities for authors and editors to learn about the work of other researchers, from across disciplines, who are focusing on this area. I think this is especially important for these researchers to know that there is a community to support the work and an audience who can benefit from scholarship on DEI. Since much of the scholarship on diversity, culture, and equity is produced by Black, Indigenous, People of Color researchers, IGI Global’s support and production of this work, also means that there are more publication opportunities for scholars of color.
Additionally, for editors and authors interested in learning how to increase the citation impact of their research and create a successful campaign to reap the benefits of increasing their title’s discoverability, contact IGI Global’s Author Relations Team at
authorrelations@igi-global.com.
About Dr. RaMonda Horton:
RaMonda Horton, Ph.D, CCC-SLP, is a native of Durham, NC and mother. She received her Ph.D from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is an Associate Professor in the Speech-language Pathology program at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL. Dr. Horton’s research, teaching, and service interests are in the areas of early language development and disorders, school-based services, and multicultural and social justice issues in communication disorders. Her work has been presented at national and international conferences and published in numerous journals.
| View Related Titles on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | | | Black and Brown Leadership and the Promotion of Change in an Era of Social Unrest | Profs. Sonia Rodriguez (National University, USA) et al.
©2021 | 352 pgs. | EISBN: 9781799872375 | - Latest Research Findings of 25+ Researchers from Over 20+ Institutions
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All of these titles are also available in IGI Global’s e-Book Collection.
About IGI Global
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