Declaration of the Right to Stutter

21st October 2022

Along with other stammering organisations around the world, this International Stammering Awareness Day (22nd Oct) we're launching a 'Declaration of the Right to Stutter'.

The declaration, which you can read below, insists that it is time to end this assumption that people who stammer should stop stammering. 

It calls upon everyone in a position to do so — the media, employers, organisations — to make space for people who stammer. We want to be seen and heard on TV; we want our stammer to be accepted when we go for interviews, order coffee or make a complaint, so that we stammer and be given the space to do so. 

Declaration of the Right to Stutter

"We, the undersigned, declare that people who stutter should be accepted as having a stutter. We may, or may not, choose to find support to sound fluent or stutter less. That is our right. It is not reasonable to expect or insist that we sound fluent. We stutter. That is how we talk.

In this time of diversity, adjustments are too often not given to those who stutter, be it at work, education or using everyday services. The expectation is rather that we should strive to ‘overcome’ our stutter and speak differently. As individuals we may wish, and even try, to do so. But as a community we refute the idea that we all stop stuttering.

No organisation can claim to value equality or diversity unless stuttering voices are permitted and valued. We call upon every organisation and institution to work with people who stutter to make sure that all of us are given the respect every person deserves; and that space is made for us.

It is our right to speak as we do."

Signatories

50 Million Voices, International
Action for Stammering Children, United Kingdom
Alborz Atra Speech Therapy Clinic, Iran
Asian Association for Stuttering Organizations, International
Asociación Argentina de Tartamudez, Argentina
Associação Brasileira de Gagueira – ABRA Gagueira, Brazil
Association vaincre le bégaiement, Mali
Balbuzie allo Scoperto! – Supporto & Confronto, Italy
Belfast Stammer Support, Northern Ireland
BeneTalk, United Kingdom
BSV Belgian Stuttering Association, Belgium
Bulgarian Stuttering Association, Bulgaria
Bundesvereinigung Stottern & Selbsthilfe e.V., Germany
Canadian Stuttering Association, Canada
Centro Especializado en Tartamudez, Peru
CONTINUUM-TTM, Tartamudez Ecuador, Ecuador
De Stotterpraktijk, The Netherlands
Demosfen, Russia
Dutch Association for Speech and Language Therapy, The Netherlands
Estonian Stuttering Association, Estonia
Fluir+ Abordaje Clínico de la Tartamudez, Chile & Latin America
Friends – The National Association of Young People Who Stutter, United States
Fundación Colombiana de Tartamudez, Colombia
Fundacja Centrum Logopedyczne, Poland
Fundacja Wspierania Mowy i Komunikacji HALO, Poland
Ghana Stammering Association, Ghana
Habla Libre, Peru
Hong Kong Stuttering Support Group, Hong Kong
Independent Practice for Speech Therapy, Belgium
Indonesian Stuttering Community, Indonesia
International Stuttering Association, International
Israeli Stuttering Association, Israel
Japan Stuttering Genyukai Association, Japan
Jeanette van Baarsen Stottertherapie, The Netherlands
Logopädie & Stottertherapie, Germany/The Netherlands
Logopedie & Stottercentrum Zuid-West, The Netherlands
Logopedie praktijk Stevenshof, The Netherlands
MI HABLA, MI TIEMPO, Peru
Myspeech, United States
National Stuttering Association, United States
Nederlandse stotter- en broddelvereniging Demosthenes, The Netherlands
Nederlandse Vereniging voor Stottertherapie, The Netherlands
Nepal Stutters’ Association, Nepal
Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association, Canada
Norsk interesseforening for stamming og løpsk tale, Norway
ONLUS – ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA BALBUZIE E COMUNICAZIONE, Italy
Österreichische Selbsthilfe Initiative Stottern, Austria
Pakistan Stammering Foundation, Pakistan
Portuguese Association of Stutterers, Portugal
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, United Kingdom
Rwanda Stuttering Organisation, Rwanda
SAY Global, Pakistan
SAY: The Stuttering Association For The Young Australia, Australia
Schneider Institute for Communication, Israel
Schneider Speech, United States
Scottish Stammering Network, Scotland
Shashi FIRE Holding, The Netherlands
Speakeasy South Africa, South Africa
Specialized Center for Stuttering, International
STAMMA, United Kingdom
Stammeforeningen i Danmark, Denmark
Stammeklinikkene – Center logopedi AS, Norway
Stammertalk 口吃说, China
Stammerers Through University Consultancy, United Kingdom
Stamningsförbundet, Sweden
Stamurai, India
Stichting StotterFonds, The Netherlands
Stottercentrum Noord, The Netherlands
Stottercentrum Utrecht, The Netherlands
Stottertherapie In Verbinding, The Netherlands
Stuttering Association of Zambia, Zambia
Stuttering Awareness Mental Well-being Ireland, Ireland
Stuttering Society, Belgium
Suomen änkytysyhdistys ry, Finland
The Evolution and Voice Science Lab, United Kingdom
The Icelandic Stuttering Association, Iceland
The Indian Stammering Association, India
Transcending Stuttering, International
Vereinigung für Stotternde und Angehörige, Switzerland
Voce InForma – Centro Vocologico Internazionale, Italy
withVR, International
World Stuttering Network, International

If you're an organisation and you want to sign the Declaration, go to the Stamily website, which also has translations into 18 different languages.

The image above is the 'Making Waves Stammering Pride' flag.