Associations Unite to Congratulate Joe Biden

19th January 2021

Organisations representing those who stammer around the world have come together to congratulate Joe Biden on his inauguration as the first President of the United States of America to stammer.

Twenty-nine national and international organisations signed a letter of congratulations, which we'll present to the President on his inauguration day this Wednesday. It includes the words "your achievement stands testament to the fact that having a stutter is no reflection upon brains or talent. This is an empowering message for young people who stutter here, and in every continent around the world." 

The letter ends "You stutter, we stutter, it's how we talk", using the slogan we penned for our recent Find The Right Words campaign.

CEO of Stamma Jane Powell said, "It is time to take the negativity out of having a stammer. It is just how some people talk, it doesn’t reflect talent, ambition or skill. What's important isn’t how someone says something, but what they say. President Joe Biden, welcome and congratulations on behalf of Stamma."

Signatories hope that Biden's position will help the media and the public have a more positive and insightful understanding about what it means to stutter. Stuttering is no reflection on talent and should be no bar to ambition, it is just how some people talk.

Signatory organisations come from: Australia, Austria, Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, India, Ireland, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Togo, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Zambia.

The joint letter in full

Dear Mr President 

Warm congratulations on your inauguration today from the stuttering community from across the globe. 

As someone with a stutter, your achievement stands testament to the fact that having a stutter is no reflection upon brains or talent.  This is an empowering message for young people who stutter here, and in every continent around the world, and a powerful message to all those who don’t stammer.  Stammering should be no bar to success.     

You stutter. We stutter. It's how we talk.
Signed by:

International Stuttering Association, International Stuttering Association, Australian Speak Easy Association, Oesterreichische Selbsthilfe-Initiative Stottern, Botswana Stuttering Association, Bulgarian Stuttering Association, Bulgarian Stuttering Association, Foreningen for Stammere i Danmark, The Dominican Stuttering Foundation, Bundesvereinigung Stottern und Selbsthilfe e.V, Ghana Stammering Association, Malbjorg, The Indian Stammering Association, Irish Stammering Association, Japan Stuttering Genyukai Association, Shoqata Kosovare per Belbezim, Lithuanian Stuttering Problem Club, Nepal Stutters Association, Nederlands Stottervereniging ‘Demosthenes’, Canadian Stuttering Association, Habla Libre Peruvian Association, Speakeasy Stuttering Association of South Africa, VERSTA, Youth Action for Mutual Aid and fight against Stuttering, Stamma, 50 Million Voices, National Stuttering Association, Friends, Stuttering Association of Zambia, Pakistan Stammering Foundation, SAY Global Foundation, Russian Stuttering Association.

Read our reaction to Joe Biden winning last year's presidential election in our article 'Joe Biden: A President With a Stammer'.

Stamma member Felicity made her first report for BBC News last week, about what it's like to be someone who stammers in the run-up to Biden's inauguration. Read about it and watch Felicity's report in our article 'Stammering Makes The Headlines'.