CASLPA Receives National Recognition for Concerned About Classrooms Campaign

The Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA) recently received the Canadian Society of Association Executives' (CSAE) Associations Make a Better Canada award in the category of public information and education.

CSAE recognized CASLPA for its work leading the Concerned About Classrooms Coalition, a group whose goal is to enhance the acoustic environment in schools in order to improve the vocal health of Canadian teachers and learning environment of students.

"No legislation regarding standardized classroom acoustics currently exists across Canada," said CASLPA President Linda Walsh. "Our government needs to make sound decisions to protect our children's learning environment and that begins with implementing province-wide acoustic standards."

Through public education and grassroots advocacy across Canada, the Concerned About Classrooms Coalition is encouraging the Canadian Building Code Centre and provincial governments to adopt the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards or to develop a similar set of standards for classroom construction in Canada. This public information campaign highlights the impact of poor acoustics on children's learning and teachers' vocal health and has allowed CASLPLA to profile the role of audiologists and speech-language pathologists with respect to this issue.

This is the third year in a row that CASLPA has won a CSAE award. Last year, CASLPA received the Associations Make a Better Canada award in the category of government relations for its Noisy Toys Campaign, and in 2007 in the public information and education category for its public service announcements.

CASLPA would like to congratulate the Certified General Accountants of Canada as the co-winner of the CSAE's Associations Make a Better Canada award in the public information and education category.

CASLPA represents the professional needs of more than 5,500 speech-language pathologists, audiologists and supportive personnel. For more information about the role audiologists, speech-language pathologists and supportive personnel play in the management of communication disorders or to find an audiologist or speech-language pathologist in your area, visit CASLPA's website at www.speechandhearing.ca.