Health Workforce Canada has released the Pan Canadian Health Workforce Data Strategy, a national initiative designed to address longstanding gaps in how health workforce data is collected and shared across the country. Fragmented and inconsistent data has hindered effective planning for many health professions, including speech-language pathology and audiology.

As an active member of the Data Strategy Advisory Group, SAC played a direct role in shaping this work and ensuring that the needs and realities of the communication health workforce were reflected throughout the development.

The Pan Canadian Health Workforce Data Strategy approach is closely aligned with the challenges and priorities that SAC members continue to identify.

The need for member support across the workforce

More robust national data on workforce supply, mobility, and distribution will help provide greater visibility into the pressures that communication health professionals experience in their daily practice. This evidence strengthens SAC’s advocacy for increased training capacity, improved recruitment and retention supports and expanded federal programs that recognize the essential contributions of speech-language pathologists (S-LPs), audiologists, and communication health assistants.

The need for improved access to speech-language pathology and audiology services

A coordinated data system will make it easier to identify areas where wait times are longest, services are limited, or access to safe and innovative devices requires urgent improvement. This directly supports SAC’s ongoing efforts to ensure Canadians can access the communication health care and tools our members rely on to deliver high quality, evidence-informed care.

The need for better communication access and care in Indigenous and remote communities

The strategy’s emphasis on respectful collaboration with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners reinforces SAC’s work to expand culturally grounded, community-led speech and hearing services. Improved data will support better planning for mobile, virtual, and Indigenous-led communication health initiatives in regions where access remains limited.

The need for enhanced early hearing and communication support for children

Reliable national data will help identify persistent gaps in early intervention, whether in childcare settings, screening programs, or community supports. This evidence bolsters SAC’s advocacy for national Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) guidelines and for the strengthened integration of S-LPs and audiologists in early learning environments, ensuring children receive timely and appropriate support.

By improving the consistency, accessibility, and interoperability of workforce data across the country, the Pan Canadian Health Workforce Data Strategy reinforces SAC’s national advocacy efforts and supports a future in which communication health care is more equitable, timely, and responsive to the needs of all Canadians.

Read the strategy at healthworkforce.ca/resources.

SAC is pleased to inform our members that we have formally submitted a comprehensive response to the Health Standards Organization (HSO) regarding the public review of the CAN/HSO 40001:2025 (E) Healthcare Education draft standard. Our submission, informed by the expertise of SAC members, ensures that the voices of communication health professionals are represented in the development of national accreditation criteria.

A central theme of SAC’s feedback was the importance of evolving the standard’s definition of communication. While the draft correctly emphasizes “People-Powered Health,” our submission highlighted that true communication access is only achieved when patients and their health care providers can participate in effective two-way interaction, rather than just being recipients of information. Without this interaction, opportunities for learning and safe inclusive care can be missed.

In our formal response, SAC proposed several critical enhancements to the draft standard:

• Reinforcing Equity: We commended the inclusion of social identities but recommended that ability and language be more explicitly prioritized as foundational pillars of equitable service design.
• Accessibility in Simulation: We advocated for clinical simulations to incorporate specific interprofessional strategies to engage clients with communication disabilities. We also emphasized that emergency drills must include visual and tactile alerts (such as flashing signage) to be inclusive of those with hearing or vision loss.
• Modality and Learner Rights: SAC requested that the standard guarantee students the right to be informed of risks in their preferred modality or language and that Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) explicitly include environmental supports like hearing loop systems and captioning.
• Core Competencies: We proposed that “communication access supports” and “communication partner strategies” be recognized as core clinical competencies alongside trauma-informed care and cultural safety.

Our submission was supported by a robust reference list of communication access research and consultations with subject-matter experts. We reminded the HSO that communication barriers are a primary driver of preventable adverse events in healthcare. By embedding these requirements into healthcare education, we can ensure that future providers are equipped to provide safer, more inclusive care.

SAC remains committed to monitoring the progress of CAN/HSO 40001:2025 as it moves toward final publication. As the Human Health Resource crisis continues across Canada, it is imperative that innovative approaches to healthcare delivery be advocated to address caseload demands in clinical settings by systemically improving healthcare standards. By integrating the expertise of SAC members into national healthcare standards, we strive to reduce barriers to care. SAC will continue to update members on how these standards will impact our professions and the patients we serve.

Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) is pleased to share encouraging news for First Nations children, families, and the professionals who support them. The Government of Canada has announced $1.55 billion in new funding for Jordan’s Principle, helping ensure continued access to essential health, social, and educational services over the next year.

According to CBC News, this renewed investment follows significant concerns about the program’s long-term stability. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty emphasized that the commitment is intended to reduce uncertainty and ensure Jordan’s Principle “remains predictable, practical, and grounded in fairness and respect.”

While this extension provides important short-term program stability, funding alone does not resolve ongoing implementation challenges. Policy changes are still needed to address administrative delays, reimbursement backlogs, and inconsistent regional implementation.

As Canada invests in new service delivery infrastructure, including programs supported through Jordan’s Principle, SAC continues to urge policymakers to design systems with connection, safety, and accessibility at the forefront. This means consulting with speech-language pathologists (S-LPs), audiologists, and communication health assistants to ensure environments support people who cannot hear, speak, or swallow effectively.

In Indigenous and remote communities, improving access to communication health services remains critical. S-LPs, audiologists, and communication health assistants contribute to essential health and educational needs, while also supporting language revitalization and the preservation of Indigenous communication traditions. Yet access gaps persist due to geography, workforce shortages, and inconsistent connectivity.

Jordan’s Principle funding supports many of the services our members provide, both in person and through virtual care. As governments modernize health infrastructure, strong virtual care pathways are essential to ensure First Nations children can receive timely, culturally safe services, no matter where they live. This new federal funding is an important step forward, and SAC will continue advocating for inclusive, well-designed systems that meet the needs of all First Nations children.

SAC remains dedicated to:

• expanding equitable access to communication health services in Indigenous and remote communities;
• advancing virtual care infrastructure developed in partnership with communication health professionals; and
• supporting members who deliver essential Jordan’s Principle–funded services.

We will continue to monitor developments, share updates, and work with policymakers to close longstanding gaps in access to care. If you have questions about how this announcement may impact your practice or the families you serve, please reach out to advocacy@sac-oac.ca.

OOAQ is urging Quebec to update the Code des professions to allow audiologists to sell and fit hearing aids, an activity currently reserved for audioprothésistes. In its brief to parliamentarians, OOAQ outlined three core motivations for this request:

• allowing qualified professionals to fully practise within their authorized scope
• aligning the activities permitted for audiologists in Quebec with those authorized elsewhere in Canada to support workforce mobility
• and improving access to hearing aids while enhancing continuity of care.

Quebec remains the only jurisdiction in North America where audiologists cannot dispense hearing aids, and OOAQ cautions that relying solely on approximately 550 audioprothésistes to meet the needs of an aging population is insufficient to address growing demand.

A Turning Point for Hearing Care in Quebec?

The OOAQ’s proposal, raised as part of consultations on Quebec’s Bill 15, seeks to modernize multiple health profession frameworks and could represent a significant shift in how hearing care is delivered in the province. Their recommendation reflects a broader movement across Canada calling for better access, modernized regulation, and sustainable hearing health services. Read more here (French article).

Why This Matters Nationally

SAC’s ongoing federal advocacy has highlighted similar concerns across Canada.

Accessibility & Affordability

The Quebec debate underscores the urgent need for equitable access to hearing care. Rising service costs, limited public coverage, and provincial restrictions on provider roles continue to create barriers, especially for older adults and low-income Canadians. This aligns with SAC’s federal recommendations calling for:

• Improved financial accessibility to hearing services.
• Reduced wait times, particularly for rural, remote, and equity-seeking communities.
• A national approach to hearing health grounded in prevention, early identification, and timely intervention.

Health Human Resources (HHR)

OOAQ’s position highlights how regulatory modernization can help address HHR pressures by enabling the full scope of practice for audiologists. This mirrors SAC’s national asks to:

• strengthen Canada’s hearing care workforce;
• remove outdated legislative barriers; and
• ensure optimal use of professional competencies across disciplines.

As discussions continue in Quebec, SAC will continue to advocate federally for a comprehensive, accessible, and equitable national hearing health landscape that supports Canadians across all provinces and territories.

On January 13, 2026, SAC contacted Christine Schachtel‑Hine, Licensing Administrator at the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, to seek clarity on the use of the term “registered” by Hearing Instrument Practitioners (HIPs) in signage and advertising. SAC noted that the public generally understands “registration” to mean being officially recorded with a regulatory body as part of a licensing process. In Saskatchewan, audiologists must hold annual licensure and registration with CSASK, while HIPs are not required to be licensed or registered with a regulatory body to practice. Despite this clear regulatory difference between hearing care providers, according to the Province of Saskatchewan, audiologists and HIPs are “registered” with the province to dispense hearing aids.

SAC has respectfully requested that HIPs in Saskatchewan not use the term “registered” unless a provincial regulatory framework is established. This clarification supports transparency and helps ensure individuals make an informed decision about whether to see an audiologist or a HIP based on their needs.

The Ministry of Health has acknowledged receipt of SAC’s correspondence and will be reviewing the matter with relevant leadership.

Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) celebrates the Senate’s recent adoption of a motion to officially recognize May 10 of each year as Bear Witness Day. This National Day of Action honours the legacy of Jordan River Anderson and his family, while reaffirming the federal government’s legal obligation to fully implement Jordan’s Principle.

Introduced by Senator Brian Francis, the motion highlights the ongoing barriers First Nations children and families face in accessing essential health, social, and educational services due to jurisdictional disputes and administrative delays. During the Senate debate, Jordan River Anderson’s story was shared, underscoring the systemic failures that continue to have real and lasting consequences for children and families.

The adoption of Bear Witness Day represents an important step toward renewed accountability and public awareness. Reinforcing that Jordan’s Principle exists to ensure First Nations children receive the services they need, when they need them, without delay or denial.

This motion directly aligns with SAC’s ongoing advocacy efforts. Communication health services are essential health services, not optional, and delays or denials in access can have lifelong consequences for children’s development, education, and well-being. SAC has consistently raised concerns about administrative barriers within Jordan’s Principle that disproportionately affect access to communication health services for First Nations children. The recognition of Bear Witness Day is a positive step forward in highlighting these systemic issues and the critical need for timely action.

SAC thanks Senator Francis and all Senators who supported this motion for their leadership in affirming that Jordan’s Principle is not a discretionary program, but a binding legal and human rights obligation.