Perceptions of Racial Privilege in Prospective Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists

Awareness of racial disparities and privileges may be regarded as a critical component of cultural competence in speech-language-hearing professionals. In this study, 83 graduate students in speech-language pathology and audiology completed a web-based survey on their perceptions of White privilege. Both qualitative and quantitative results suggest the majority of respondents view racial privileges as minimal in the speech-language-hearing professions; most respondents denied the concept of White privilege or showed minimal awareness. To improve the cultural competence of future speech-language hearing professionals, discussion of racial privilege should be included in training programs and in professional literature.