IASLT has teamed up with the Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee of the School of Health Sciences in the University of Galway to record a series of podcasts related to EDI in Speech and Language Therapy. Divya Ravikumar and Mary-Pat O Malley lead the Culture Working Group in the School of Health Sciences EDI Committee at the University of Galway. They said “we wanted to shine a spotlight on issues of diversity and the experiences of being in a minority in the SLT profession as a starting point for addressing the topic across health care professions. We realised that this aligned with the IASLT Strategic Plan 2023-2025 Area 3 Inclusion & Diversity and agreed to collaborate with IASLT to develop a series of podcasts on the topic for the IASLT In Conversation podcast. These podcasts can be used to help both SLTs in training and SLTs develop their cultural sensitivity.” 

There are 6 podcasts in total and one podcast will be released monthly.

Episode 2: Abbie Alcorn 

In this podcast, we delve into Abbie's experience of cultural diversity in the HSE community and SLT in particular. She shares how this diversity shapes her daily work life, especially as she supports clients during some of their most vulnerable moments. Abbie hopes that this conversation shines a light on what is often a significant blind spot for those who don’t face these challenges daily. Her aim is to foster greater compassion, acceptance, and awareness, ultimately leading to better support for culturally diverse staff in the workplace.

Biography:

Abbie Alcorn is an Irish-Sierra Leonean Senior Speech and Language Therapist. A 2012 graduate of Trinity College Dublin, she is currently based in Kilkenny, working in Adult Primary Care Services. Her career spans acute and primary care settings, having worked largely in hospitals across the South East. Abbie balances her career with family life alongside her Northern Irish husband and their two young children. Passionate about fostering increased cultural awareness and sensitivity, Abbie is an active member of the HSE Cultural Diversity Network. She is committed to addressing the often unseen challenges faced by staff from diverse backgrounds and advocates for open dialogue and greater transparency to inspire meaningful cultural understanding and change within healthcare services.