April 14, 2021

Media Advisory – World Voice Day April 16

World Voice Day, a global event to increase public awareness about voice care and voice disorders, is Friday, April 16, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale has an expert available to speak with reporters and news crews about the significance of this day and offer tips for preserving voice quality and vocal health.

Maria Claudia Franca, associate professor in the communication disorders and sciences program, holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) and has leadership appointments with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Franca can be reached at franca@siu.edu or 618-599-7263 (contact by text is permissible as well.)

On World Voice Day, speech-language pathologists and voice professionals in medicine, science and education from around the globe seek to educate the public about the importance of taking care of their voices and how actions can damage the voice – resulting in consequences ranging from strained vocal cords and chronic hoarseness to deadly head and neck cancers. Franca can address these topics.

The theme for 2021 is “One World – Many Voices,” and although the campus is not having the usual information tables and fun, informative events due to the ongoing pandemic, SIU still wants to help get the word out.