International Stuttering Awareness Day event in Japan

Building on the success of last year’s joint activity, we are excited to announce that this year’s ISAD campaign in Japan will once again be a collaborative project of the self-help group, Japan Stuttering Genyukai Association (JSGA) and the academic organization Japan Society of Stuttering and Other Fluency Disorders (JSSFD). This joint effort, which enabled us to distribute pocket tissues and raise awareness about stuttering, will be repeated this year. The pocket tissue leaflet design will feature a QR code linking to the JSSFD website, which has fundamental knowledge of stuttering and was created by stuttering researchers and clinicians last year. This campaign will enable easy access to accurate stuttering information from the pocket tissue leaflet. By distributing these materials to the general public, we also aim to raise awareness about stuttering and contribute to creating a stuttering-friendly society.

              The campaign of distribution of pocket tissues for stuttering awareness for ISAD began in 2017 as an effort by the JSGA, a self-help group in Japan comprising roughly 43 local organizations (Genyukai). Through the activities of these organizations, JSGA has distributed around 20,000 to 30,000 pocket tissues annually across Japan. JSSFD, founded in 2013, is an academic society in Japan with members including clinicians, researchers, and stuttering individuals. Its annual meeting, held once a year, attracts hundreds of participants and hosts vibrant discussions. The joint campaign with JSGA and JSSFD is a unique and meaningful opportunity in Japan to involve stuttering individuals, clinicians, researchers, supporters and parents of children who stutter, thereby fostering a more inclusive and supportive society. Through the ISAD event last year, we were able to distribute approximately 30,000 pocket tissues at various locations in Japan, including preschools, elementary schools, junior high schools, universities, boards of education, special education classes for people with hearing and language disorders, schools with education program of speech-language-hearing-therapist, neighborhood associations, libraries, workplaces (restaurants, airports, etc.), downtown areas, local festivals, and school festivals. I would also like to focus on the association of the design of pocket tissue flyer and the promotion of the changing positive attitude among the general public.

I hope that this year’s ISAD theme, “THE POWER OF LISTENING,” will reach the general public and that all people involved in stuttering in Japan will work together to make ISAD a success!

Daichi Iimura, Ph. D., speech-language-hearing therapist, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tsukuba. He received his Ph.D. in Disability Science from the University of Tsukuba in 2020. He has been a member of the publicity committee of the Japan Society of Stuttering and Other Fluency Disorders (JSSFD) since 2013 and the Chair of the publicity committee of JSSFD since 2019. He is a person who stutters himself. His work involves educating students in speech-language disorders and conducting research and clinical activities related to stuttering.