Speech Pathology Australia Annual Report 2020

Speech Pathology Week Speech Pathology Week seeks to promote the speech pathology profession and the role of speech pathologists in supporting people with communication and swal lowing disorders. The theme for Speech Pathology Week in 2020 was Communicating with confidence! A key component of the campaign for Speech Pathology Week in 2020 was the production of a series of innovative videos, involving a ‘Rubik’s Cube’ and a ‘Jigsaw’ to promote the week’s theme. During a number of recent Speech Pathology Week campaigns, the Association’s communications and marketing team has worked closely with the Melbourne-based publ ic relations firm, Pesel and Carr. That partnership paid dividends in 2020, when the Association’s 2019 Speech Pathology Week campaign was rewarded with two International Association of Business Communicators 2020 Gold Qui l l Awards.

Professional education In May 2020, the Association launched its new Learning Management System (better known as the Learning Hub). With the coronavirus pandemic having already put a stop to al l face-to-face workshops, al l the Association’s professional education was moved rapidly onl ine. The Learning Hub provided a variety of learning formats: face-to-face events, LIVE Onl ine, On Demand, communities of practice, webisodes, and Speak Up podcasts. From the hub’s launch in May to December 2020, 14,717 educational offerings were accessed. In direct response to the pandemic, 12 new self- paced learning activities addressing COVID and its impact on cl inical practice, and 13 new self- paced learning activities addressing telepractice, were offered to members. In addition, the podcast series, Speak Up, released 46 episodes, resulting in 88,000 l istens. The Association also entered a number of new col laborations to further the professional education experience for members, including Lifel ine x SPA Accidental Counsel lor PLUS, and the Austral ian Library and Information Association. National Conference The Association’s Board of Directors at its meeting in March 2020 considered the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of its first decisions was to reschedule the 2020 National Conference, due to be held Darwin in May 2020, to May 2021 and to organise for the Association’s 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be a total ly onl ine event. Because of the ongoing chal lenges of the pandemic, the Board, at a subsequent meeting, resolved to change the 2021 conference from being a face-to-face conference to a total ly virtual onl ine event. Climate change In February, the Association’s Board of Directors acknowledged that cl imate change was a priority for members and the community. The Board agreed to form a working party to provide recommendations on measures the Association, members and cl ients can take to manage the impact of cl imate change, with a focus on the impact on those with communication and swal lowing difficulties.

Swallowing Awareness Day The theme for Swal lowing Awareness Day in 2020 was 'Dysphagia. A difficult diagnosis to swal low!' Despite the chal lenges of COVID-19, there was evidence that Dizzy, the Swal lowing Awareness Day mascot, was out and about spruiking the campaign. A video with Dr Jul ie Cichero, ‘What is swal lowing?’, was wel l received and helped to reinforce a strong social media campaign. The video was viewed 31,425 times and was engaged more than 2000 times on Facebook alone. In the lead up to Swal lowing Awareness Day, the Association distributed a number of media releases, including one in conjunction with the Dental Hygienists Association of Austral ia, titled ‘You only have one mouth – take good care of it!’

10 2020 ANNUAL REPORT Speech Pathology Australia