Stammer Awareness Day: Campaigners call for better awareness around disability

People with stammers are calling for better education and awareness around the condition.

It is estimated that more than 50,000 people in Scotland have a stammer, characterised by difficulty getting words out, and can include repeating words or sounds, prolonging sounds, and blocking on words or sounds.

But charities say it’s not well understood and that those who struggle with their speech are often not treated with respect.

Scott Ingram has had a stammer for the past 14 years.

He told STV News: “I started to notice myself that I wasn’t saying words and sounds quite right. When I wanted to say words and sounds for some odd reason they wouldn’t come out of my mouth quite right.

“It really got to me. It really got me down, anxious and stressed. I was just needing help with my speech and stammer.”

Around one in 100 people in Scotland have a stammer. It’s more common in young children but can also develop later in life.

Scottish Stammering Network trustee John Mann STV News

Scott says the disability often receives a mixed response – but he has been taking on public speaking roles and practices different vocal techniques to manage his stammer.

He added: “Some people were not patient with me, and basically told me to get on with it or to hurry up. That made me more anxious and stressed out.

“I feel really good about myself and my stammer now – I’ve had to work very hard on it over the last 13 years.”

As part of International Stammer Awareness Day, charities say the condition affects many aspects of everyday life but is still not well understood.

Scottish Stammering Network trustee John Mann said: “It can hamper a person’s life pretty significantly. It can affect their job choice, it can affect relationships.

“You can get negative reactions. It still is a disability and it was one that a lot of people think they can laugh at still, whereas people wouldn’t laugh at deaf or blind person.

“All we need is for people to let us finish our sentence – give us a bit of time.”