Foundation Reminds Us "People Who Stutter Can Do Amazing Things"

NEW YORK, May 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today marks the start of National Stuttering Awareness Week, which runs May 12-18, according to the Stuttering Foundation. Traditionally, the week is dedicated to building global awareness of stuttering -- more than 70 million people worldwide and three million people in the United States struggle with stuttering every day.

"This week is a time for us to remind the world that people who stutter can achieve amazing things," said Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation. "Unfortunately, we still live in a world that allows stuttering to be mocked and ridiculed. The end result is that countless children who stutter face teasing and torment at school just because they speak differently."

Despite the great strides afforded the stuttering community by the movie The King's Speech and its accurate and moving portrayal of the effects of a severe stutter, Hollywood portrayed people who stutter in a negative light for decades. Persons who stutter were portrayed as deranged, violent or otherwise incompatible with the social norm. Some of these movies over the years have been Dead Again, My Cousin Vinny, Urban Legend and Primal Fear – just to name a few.

"We spend a great deal of time heralding the accomplishments of persons who stutter on our website, of celebrities and people next door, to inspire and give hope to those who struggle," added Fraser.

A listing of "Famous People Who Stutter" can be found on the Foundation's website, www.stutteringhelp.org. A free poster can also be downloaded.

Foundation Spokesperson Jane Fraser


Jane Fraser is president of The Stuttering Foundation and co-author of If Your Child Stutters: A Guide for Parents, 8th edition. She is also vice president of the Action for Stammering Children, Michael Palin Centre in London.

About the Foundation

Malcolm Fraser, a successful businessman and stutterer, went on to establish and endow the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation in 1947. The Stuttering Foundation provides a toll-free helpline, 800-992-9392, and free online resources on its Website, www.StutteringHelp.org, including services, referrals and support to people who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering.

SOURCE The Stuttering Foundation

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