University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2011 May;20(2):86-94. doi: 10.1044/1058-0360(2011/10-0060). Epub 2011 Mar 10.
The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to examine potential barriers to seeking services for communication impairments perceived by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Specifically, this clinical survey investigated (a) the rate and importance of disclosure of membership in the LGBT community by people with communication impairments to their clinicians and (b) the perception of bias of audiologists and speech-language pathologists against LGBT individuals with communication impairments.
A total of 192 people identifying as LGBT with a communication impairment responded to a web-based survey. The survey contained questions about the respondents' demographic information, living situation, and experiences with clinical services for communication impairments. In addition, the survey contained open-ended comment sections.
There were differences in the responses of LGBT people with speech-language impairments and those with hearing impairments. The majority of respondents did not disclose their membership in the LGBT community, although they felt it was important. Most respondents reported perceiving bias toward a heterosexual orientation from their clinicians.
Exploration of issues important to the LGBT community contributes to the growing emphasis on diversity and cultural competency in communication sciences and disorders. Specific clinical recommendations and directions for future research are discussed.
本初步调查旨在探讨同性恋、双性恋和跨性别（LGBT）人群对沟通障碍寻求服务的潜在障碍。具体而言，这项临床调查研究了（a）有沟通障碍的人向其临床医生披露其 LGBT 群体成员身份的频率和重要性，以及（b）听力学家和言语语言病理学家对有沟通障碍的 LGBT 个体的偏见感知。
共有 192 名自认为是 LGBT 且有沟通障碍的人对一个基于网络的调查做出了回应。该调查包含了有关受访者人口统计学信息、生活状况以及沟通障碍临床服务体验的问题。此外，该调查还包含了开放式评论部分。
有言语语言障碍的 LGBT 人与有听力障碍的 LGBT 人的反应存在差异。大多数受访者没有披露他们的 LGBT 群体成员身份，尽管他们认为这很重要。大多数受访者报告称，他们的临床医生对异性恋取向存在偏见。
探讨对 LGBT 群体重要的问题有助于在沟通科学和障碍领域越来越强调多样性和文化能力。讨论了具体的临床建议和未来研究方向。
