ISAD in different countries
Hello, my name is Marissa, and I am currently a student pursuing a career in speech. A question I have is: How have ISAD activities in your country helped challenge misconceptions about stuttering, and what barriers still remain to creating greater acceptance and support for people who stutter?
Thank you for your interesting question, Marissa.
Raising awareness is so important, as there are still so many misconceptions about stuttering, in society, but also amongst PWS/PWC and amongst some SLPs as well. That’s why this year’s theme is so important. We may all stutter, but we all come with a “manual”. I don’t stutter when I sing, but I know others who do. I may not like you to fill in my sentences, but I know others who do. So raising awareness tells our individual stories, and hopefully crush some of the old tales. As no, we’re not more nervous than anyone else, but people’s reactions can make us nervous. So can we finally skip that one? 😉
And maybe even more important: it took me 27 years to find others who stutter, as I thought I was the only one. Raising awareness also leads to others finding our community, no longer feeling alone, and together finding out voices.
The media has been feeding the misconceptions for years. Now we’re talking and we hope society listens and learns. 🙂
Happy ISAD and keep them talking
Anita
Hi Marissa! Thank you for your question!
I’m answering from Lebanon, where I believe we’re slowly but surely starting to change the conversation around stuttering.
For this year’s International Stuttering Awareness Day, I organized our first in-person stuttering community meetup, Stutter & Sip, bringing together people who stutter, parents, SLPs, and students. And for me, that was already a huge step!
Through my advocacy work with Stutters Bil Arabi, I’ve also had opportunities to speak about stuttering on national television, organize awareness activities, and create conversations both online and in person.
But here’s something I’ve realized: raising awareness isn’t just about educating people who don’t stutter. Sometimes, it’s about helping people who stutter feel comfortable being seen and heard in the first place.
One of the biggest barriers we still face in Lebanon is the stigma surrounding stuttering. Many people are still uncomfortable talking about it openly. Even when I invite people to community events, I sometimes hear, “I’m not ready,” “I don’t want anyone to know,” or “Please, no pictures.”
And I completely understand that. When you’ve spent years hiding something, being asked to suddenly celebrate it publicly isn’t easy.
I also think we need to bridge the gap between professionals and the stuttering community. SLPs play an important role, but people who stutter need to be part of the conversation too. We shouldn’t only be the people receiving support; we should also have a voice in shaping it.
What gives me hope is that we’re finally creating spaces where these conversations can happen. Maybe someone isn’t ready to attend an event today, but seeing others show up, speak openly, and share their experiences might make them feel ready tomorrow.
And that’s how I see change happening in Lebanon. One conversation, one family, one classroom, and one community gathering at a time.
Because awareness is important, but acceptance is what happens when that awareness starts changing how we treat one another.
Best,
Michèle