Public awareness
International Stammering Awareness Day: 22nd October
 International Stammering Awareness Day (ISAD) happens on 22nd October every year. Stammering associations, individuals and groups around the world organise events to mark the day and to raise awareness of stuttering.
BSA Nottingham Open Day: 'Skills for life, work... and play!'
There was a Free Open Day on International Stammering Awareness Day, Saturday 22nd October 2011 in Nottingham, with keynote speakers and a mix of workshops complementing the theme of the day.
UCL Lunch Hour Lecture: What has The King's Speech done to improve public awareness about stuttering?
Talk by Professor Peter Howell, UCL. It took place on 25th October 2011, but is available to watch online at www.ucl.ac.uk/lhl/Autumn2011/04_25102011. Blog entry: http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk
"The King's Speech provides a backdrop against which to review our current understanding of stuttering, also known as stammering. To mark Stammering Awareness Day (22 October) Professor Howell will describe our current state of knowledge about the assessment of this condition, who might be affected, how it is most likely to start in childhood, and how recent work has been successful in predicting which young children will recover by teenage..."
ISAD online conference 2011: 'Sharing stories, changing perceptions'
This is now live and FREELY AVAILABLE on the Stuttering Homepage at www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad15/isadcon15.html. Marking International Stammering Awareness Day, the ISAD online conference is a once-a-year opportunity to read a wide range of articles (including a video) from across the world and send questions to the authors. It lasts until 22nd October but can still be accessed afterwards.
Papers cover a wide variety of topics, and are written by people who stammer and professionals. Each paper has a threaded discussion page for comments and questions, and authors of the papers can respond. There is also a section called The Professor Is In, where people can put questions about stammering to a group of university professors.
The theme for this fourteenth International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference is SHARING STORIES - CHANGING PERCEPTIONS. It is hosted by Judith Kuster, emeritus professor, Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Although the conference is "live" only from 1st-22nd October, 2011, papers remain available online after the conference concludes. All past online conferences are freely available at the conference archives (link to Stuttering Homepage).
Going green for ISAD
People who stammer are encouraged to wear sea green clothes or a ribbon or wrist band, on 22nd October to mark International Stammering Awareness Day.
Michael Sugarman writes:
"People have asked, "What color do we use for stuttering awareness?" This year marks the debut of a stuttering awareness ribbon. The color is sea green.
 "The color 'blue' has traditionally been associated with calm while 'green' represents liberty, freedom and justice. The combination of these colors for People who Stutter shows the bond between 'peace' and 'liberation' when finding support and community with other people who understand and share their experiences. These are reflected in the Bill of Rights and Responsibilities of People who Stutter (link to ISA website).
"Remember to wear Sea Green clothes or ribbon on October 22nd to raise awareness about stuttering and the issues people who stutter face everyday."
Some other ideas for ISAD
 Join the BSA telephone link scheme, or other internet lists.
Ask the BSA office for some helpline posters and put them in your local libraries, community centres or GPs surgeries.
Introduce yourself as a person who stammers, for example when making telephone calls.
Give a talk on stammering - see Speaking Out team.
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