The workforce is filled with professionals who rely daily on their voice to meet their vocational needs: teachers, radio personalities, attorneys and others. These professionals enter the workforce with a wealth of knowledge, but rarely learn how to care for one of their most precious occupational tools – their voice.

In fact, among all working professionals, teachers have the highest prevalence of voice disorders (58 percent of teachers suffer voice disorders during their careers versus 28.8 percent of the general population) and annual voice-related work absences (20 percent of teachers versus 7.2 percent of the general population).

On Nov. 19, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., Aliaa Khidr, a faculty member in the University of Virginia Curry School of Education’s speech pathology and audiology program, will present a “Vocal Hygiene” workshop designed for teachers and other voice-users.

Participants will learn the basic tools and resources needed to care for their voices, as well as how to identify early signs of voice disorders and problem-solving strategies to help them meet their daily vocal challenges.

Media are invited to attend. Khidr will be available for interviews from 3 to 4 p.m., prior to the workshop.

This workshop is the last in a series of voice workshops that have taken place throughout November, including a workshop for teachers in the Charlottesville City Schools on Nov. 3.