Gender-Affirming Voice Clinic services have commenced!
Thanks to the Diversity and Inclusion Team at The University of Melbourne, The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology (DASP) have been awarded funds to set up the University’s very own Gender-Affirming Voice Clinic in collaboration with Melbourne Speech Pathology Clinic (MSPC). The funds have allowed four members of the University’s staff and student trans and gender diverse community to access a free program of gender-affirming voice training for 13 sessions, spanning one whole year.
DASP, MSPC, Master of Speech Pathology students on placement at Melbourne Teaching Health Clinics, and participants of the program are also researching the effectiveness of a student-delivered group model of gender-affirming voice care, exploring its benefits and limitations. The research team are excited that the study findings will be presented at this year’s 33rd World Congress of the IALP, one of the most prestigious and well-attended international conferences in communication sciences and disorders.
Such robust evidence is much needed to guide healthcare decisions in a time where access to gender affirming healthcare is increasingly influenced by global controversies and mis/disinformation.
To find out more about the service, contact Speech-clinic@unimelb.edu.au
