Gareth Gates: only the tip of an iceberg
Thursday, August 29, 2002
British Stammering Association Conference at Imperial College, South Kensington, London from 6-8 September - all are welcome.
It's not often that we hear about people who stammer. And it's even less often that stammerers themselves actually speak out.
Yet there are more than half a million people in the UK who stammer. Curiously, most of them, like Gareth, can sing without stammering. But if you can't control your normal speaking voice, then it can be difficult to control your life. Simple things, like ordering a sandwich, can become surprisingly stressful and really important things, like interviews, can become real tests. The frustration can be immense: most stammerers don't lack confidence in themselves, only in their speech.
In recent years, there have been huge steps forward in the understanding and treatment of stammering. Many of these will be aired at the British Stammering Association's Annual Conference, which takes place from 6-8 September at Imperial College, South Kensington, London - literally next door to the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History and Science Museums. All are welcome - but particularly those who stammer and anyone who has a child, partner, friend or work colleague who stammers. The cost per pre booked day visitor is £35, which includes access to all the workshops and lunch and refreshments throughout the day.
Over thirty seminars are planned, including:
Job interview skills - vital for thousands of school and university leavers, now searching for jobs
Exploring the fear of using the phone - the phone exposes the stammerer's voice as the only means of communication
What about us? We need help too. - A discussion group for spouses, partners, relatives and friends of people who stammer
Stammering in TV, film and the media - looks at the infrequent appearance of stammerers, their portrayal as nervous or foolish, asks when stammerers will speak out and if we will see a more accurate picture.
The keynote speaker at the conference is John Harrison, of the National Stuttering Association, USA.
Mr. Nicholas Parsons, Broadcaster and BSA Patron will be chairing a QUESTION TIME DEBATE on Saturday morning at 11.30 - 1.00. This debate will cover various topical themes on stammering.
For full details of the conference, ring the BSA on 020 8983 1003, write to BSA, 15 Old Ford Road, London E2 9PJ or go to www.stammering.org
For people seeking immediate help or advice on their speech, ring the BSA Helpline: 0845 603 2001.
Press interviews Photocalls available: 2.00 - 6.00 Friday 6th September 2002 at Imperial College and 11.00 till 1.00 Saturday, 7th September
ENDS
Notes to Editor
For further information, see BSA media contacts.
The British Stammering Association was established in 1978 to help the 800,000 stammerers in Britain, almost half of them children, and their families. Today it is still the only organisation in Britain registered as helping all stammerers from onset in childhood to adulthood. It does this by researching various projects and lobbying parliament to implement recommendations or by setting up helplines, self help groups, support services, training programmes and information services.
Back to the top