Unlock Your Voice with SAFFE
SAFFE stands for Speech and Language Therapists Advocating For Freedom of Expression.
We are a group of speech and language therapists in the UK with a mission to advocate for giving voice not just to our service users but to all members of the profession, regardless of their views.
We want to provide a space for speech and language therapists to come together and discuss what matters to them without fear of being cancelled, without a chilled speech effect, and without compelled speech.
SAFFE aims to promote competence and compassion within the profession and uphold democratic structures within the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) by working with the RCSLT to achieve this.
Our service users are the centre of all we do and to do this effectively and humanely requires space and resources to talk freely with others.
We are all about effective communication.
Pronouns Position Paper
A Speech-Language Pathologist from the U.S. and a Speech and Language Therapist from the UK have written the paper:
SLP, SLT (anon). 2023. Use of preferred pronouns are ableist against the rights and interests of children and adults with communication, cognitive, sensory, or mental health disabilities and challenges. [Online] Accessed: dd/mm/yy Available from: https://www.ourrighttospeak.com/
They wrote this paper to:
i) request that colleagues always consider the rights, abilities and disabilities of our clients when there is an expectation for preferred pronouns to be used in any context
ii) provide evidence-based information for why this matters and so that others may use it when writing policies, making complaints, providing advice, developing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) / Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and ensuring Mental Capacity Assessments (MCAs) are correctly carried out and so on