Bradley and Stanley discussed ways audiologists can address racial bias within their clinical practice by recognizing the roles explicit and implicit biases play. Additionally, they encouraged audiologists to utilize the concepts of cultural mindfulness, humility, and rigor as tools to disrupt racial bias in the pursuit of equitable patient access and outcomes. As part of these concepts, audiologists were asked to reflect on their own biases, understandings of other cultures, and social identity and to consider ways that they can continue to learn more about other cultures. These presenters noted that addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion should not be seen as punitive actions but as ways to improve patient and clinic outcomes.
The two have known each other for more than 15 years. Bradley is an assistant professor of macro social work in Boston College’s School of Social Work whose interest is in using innovation and design to address diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Stanley is an assistant professor of audiology in Illinois State University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders whose interest has primarily been in age-related differences in speech understanding in complex listening environments. This unlikely research partnership began after Bradley spoke to Stanley’s Amplification Selection and Fitting class about healthcare disparities for Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and how diversity, equity, and inclusion relates to hearing health care.
