Openness at work pays off
By Paul Huxford

I was a first time delegate to the BSA conference and attended the 'stammering in the workplace' workshop. Since the conference, I have spoken to several people at work about my stammer and the feelings associated with it. I then sent an e-mail to about 60 colleagues describing how my stammer affects my life. This was a massive step for me after a lifetime of not talking about it. I have had feedback from about 20 colleagues so far, all of it positive!

It has helped me at work already in that I now know all my colleagues know about my stammer, even if they don't understand, and so I am not trying to hide it anymore. A lady in my section has now come to me and told me her 12 year old son has a stammer and so I have been able to talk to her about it in more depth and, of course, tell her about the BSA!

I will soon be sending my e-mail to the remaining 300 staff at Wycombe District Council. It just shows that when you realise you aren't alone it makes stammering that much easier to deal with.

From the Winter 2002 edition of Speaking Out

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