Speech-language pathologists and audiologists have by and large transitioned to virtual care as a means of supporting access to speech-language pathology and audiology services. The federal government's funding of $240 million in 2020 certainly helped. However, we still need to expand and launch virtual care and mental health tools just to Canadians in general.
Access to additional funding for our practitioners will help them expand the technology that they need in order to properly deliver the care. That includes digital platforms. A lot of our members have moved away from the public system into private practice because of funding cuts, and those practitioners need additional technology to support the delivery of virtual care.
While we have adapted and support the use of virtual care, more can be done to support the practitioners who need to deliver it and who also have to align with the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act.