Between 1-3% of adults stammer, yet the condition is commonly misunderstood, and people who stammer are often perceived as ‘weaker’, ‘less confident’, and ‘less able’. And while these characterisations are usually unconscious, they can profoundly affect the lives of people who stammer, from careers to social lives and mental well-being.
Throughout history, this bias has infected the language used to describe the condition, as well as individuals lives and accomplishments.
So, working closely with with the community at Wikipedia, Stamma and VMLY&R edited misleading language used on the platform describing those who stammer to form a global campaign spanning three continents.
Endorsed by Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales, ‘Find the Right Words’ aimed to start a new conversation around harmful biased language, one which has never entered the public eye when it comes to stammering.