Don't Ask How Someone Overcame Their Stammer

In advance of International Stammering Awareness Day this Thursday 22nd October, Stamma are asking the media to ask a different question.  A video, with a voiceover by Scroobius Pip, illustrates how the organisation worked with the community at Wikipedia to edit misleading language used on the platform to describe those who stammer. These included historical entries like Lewis Carroll, as well as household names such as Ed Sheeran and Emily Blunt.   

Stamma want to see and end to stammering or stuttering being associated with words such as ‘plagued’, ‘afflicted’ and ‘overcome’ and more neutral, objective language used in conjunction with stammering,  ‘live with’, ‘manage’ and ‘control’.   

The corrosive expectation that if you stammer, you need to learn not to stammer learn to talk and sound 'normal' is almost the start point of most media interviews.  Stamma want to create a world where it is understood and accepted that some people stammer. 

To this end they've issued Guidelines for the media when talking about stammering.  These have been endorsed by the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.

Jane Powell, CEO of Stamma said "There are so many more interesting questions to ask, how has stammering informed your writing, your career.  Or how, as someone who stammers, do you feel about the representation of people who stammer in the media?  Or how can we make the world a friendly place for those without fluent privilege?"

Stamma Patron's Margaret Drabble and David Michell will be in conversation this Wednesday, 7:30 pm, in a webinar discussing stammering and perceptions of stammering, and the words used.

Kelly Brown, Scottish rugby union coach and former player, has also joined the Stamma Board of Patrons this week, and will be adding his voice to the charities messaging.

Jimmy Wales, co founder of Wikipedia said, In support of the #Find the Right Words campaign No one should feel like they are worth less as a person because of something they cannot change. The project really speaks to the nature of Wikipedia, not just as a learning tool, but as an ever-evolving platform that needs to accurately reflect the world we live in.”