NBASLH Communication Excellence Award

The NBASLH Communication Excellence Award was created as a vehicle for recognizing an individual in the local community of the current convention city who has had or currently has a communication impairment; and yet has made worthy contributions to humankind, or has otherwise reached impressive goals of personal achievement in spite of his/her communication impairment.

Such worthy accomplishments may be identified and modeled through the outstanding achievements of Mr. Bob Love, the first award recipient. Mr. Love publicly identified himself as an individual who stutters. Mr. Love’s achievements as a former athlete and humanitarian reflect an individual’s determination and strong resolve to excel in spite of very difficult odds. He earned the distinguished honor of being an outstanding professional basketball player with the Chicago Bulls and is an advocate for enhancing the social, educational and employment opportunities for young children, including those who are often intimidated by the experience of stuttering. In 1994, Mr. Love was appointed an honorary spokesperson for National Stuttering Week by the Stuttering Foundation of America.

Criteria for Selection

  • Black individual in the community who has had or has a communication disorder
  • Exemplify the ideals of NBASLH and its advocacy for effective communication among Black individuals
  • Individual aged 13 or older
  • Communication impairment who has been diagnosed by an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist and/or audiologist or equivalent
  • Outstanding accomplishments recognized at the local, national or international level

Note: If no applications are received for this award, the NBASLH Board of Directors may appoint an awardee.

Award Application Online Submission Form

 Application Deadline is January 11, 2023