No Diversity Without Disfluency concludes

18th October 2022

If you haven't signed our petition to see and hear more stammering voices on the TV and radio, then sign now as we'll be taking this to the BBC and ITV in Manchester and London this Saturday 22nd October. Join us.

So far over 25,000 people have signed the petition, from here and around the world.

We launched on International Stammering Awareness Day (ISAD) last year, our campaign highlights the lack of stammering voices we hear on TV, film and radio. We wanted to change this.

• Show your support for stammering with a selfie this ISAD

We want better representation of people who stammer in the media and promoted it with an advert that was shown in hundreds of cinemas up and down the UK throughout the year, thanks to cinema advertising contractor Pearl & Dean. The petition now has over 25,000 signatures.

Comments

Here are some of the comments people have left:

"My son has grown up with a stammer, it would have made such a difference for him to have seen other people like him."

"We need diversity in the media to reflect the different ways people talk."

"My 11yr old son stammers. He saw your advert when we were in the cinema and I think it was the first time he has seen that message on a public platform. The jolt of confidence and pride it gave him to feel recognised, to be part of a larger group and to bite back a bit was visible to me at that moment. He has always been pretty confident with his stammer and we have always supported him. It is simply his voice. But seeing him watch your advert made me realise what an effect having that message reinforced from society at large would make."

"Brilliant work by STAMMA.org. We can't have equality and inclusion without representation of disfluency and stammering in the media!"

“I am a person who stutters, and seeing the lack of representation makes me feel ashamed, almost like my stutter isn't “real” enough to be portrayed any other way than jokingly or part of an act. But it's exactly that; it's real and raw and perfectly imperfect. so let's end the stigma around speech, and then maybe others can be more patient with our words."

"Stammerers deserve the same opportunities as everyone else and belong in mainstream media."

"I'm a person who stutters (stammers) and it would have immensely helped my young self to see more people who stutter in media."

"I feel this is about time. Fed up of people thinking it's funny! We can be serious actors too. Well done."

"It was fab to see the advert writ large on the big screen at the cinema , it would be even more fab to have actual representation in the media (that wasn't comedic!)."

"A friends daughter stammers and it would be great for her to have more visible role models."

"My son has a stammer (which he loves and doesn't want to change), but he would love to see himself represented on TV."

"I'm a retired Speech & Language Therapist and worked for many years with adults and children who stammer. My son has a career in TV production and I know how difficult it is to get into the industry. My Granddaughter has started to stammer in the last 6 months, she may 'grow out of it' or she might not but I want her to know that she can pursue any career she wants including one in TV or the arts."