Advocacy on Capitol Hill
Published in the July 2024 issue of the ISHA Voice.
By Kristin Chmela, co-chair of the Billing and Reimbursement Committee
Michael Kidd Gilchrist, NBA veteran superstar, founder and CEO of Change and Impact, and person who stutters, recently teamed with United States Representatives Troy A. Carter, Sr. (Louisiana) and Kat Cammack (Florida) and launched the first Congressional Bipartisan Unified Voices Caucus advocating for those with communication challenges, with a primary focus on those who stutter. The kick-off event was held on Capitol Hill and guest panel speakers included ISHA member and Co-Chair of the Billing and Reimbursement Committee, Kristin Chmela M.A. CCC-SLP BCS-SCF, along with Academic & Research Program Director at the Center for Childhood Communication at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Joseph Donaher, Ph.D.; Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Oregon, Jessica Fanning, Ph.D., CCC-SLP; and Shaneen Quarles, parent of a teenager who stutters.
The Caucus announcement included remarks from both representatives. According to Congressman Troy Carter Sr., “Access to effective speech therapy, with specialized interventions, is not just about improving speech; it’s about enhancing social and emotional welfare, promoting greater confidence, and fostering more effective communication. It can make the difference in a child’s achievement, an adult’s success, and a community’s understanding.” Congresswoman Kat Cammack noted that “approximately three million Americans stutter” noting the importance of uniting for this cause, one that “demands our attention and advocacy.”
Remarks by Kristin Chmela highlighted barriers related to adequate care for clients who stutter including limited, inadequate, or lack of training in the area of stuttering for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, limited speech-language pathologists who hold specialized board certification in the area, and limited to no insurance coverage for many who stutter.
On behalf of Change and Impact, Michael’s efforts to advocate, educate, and amplify voices of the stuttering community has spread across the country. At the state and federal level, he is raising awareness about gaps that exist in the healthcare system for individuals who stutter. Recently in Kentucky, he was the leading advocate for a new bill signed by Governor Andy Beshear. Michael’s desire is to accomplish this in other states as well, including Illinois. You can learn more about Change and Impact here (www.changeandimpactinc.org) and invite Michael to your university to talk to your students about stuttering!
Kristin Chmela, M.A. CCC-SLP BCS-F, is Director of Chmela Fluency Center in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, and recognized for her work in childhood stuttering around the globe. She is an author, lecturer, and co-founder and co-director of Camp Shout Out. She has completed two 200 hour training courses in yoga-mindfulness and considers the whole person in her therapeutic approach.
