NSA members participate actively in National Stuttering Awareness Week (NSAW). This annual event is a time for the NSA to work with speech therapists and the media in the hope that we can reach the thousands of people who stutter who still feel alone and isolated. The National Stuttering Association was instrumental in getting NSAW established by an act of Congress in 1988 through the hard work and dedication of a group of our members.

National Stuttering Awareness Week is the second week of May, so now is the time to think about how YOU want to celebrate, educate, and spread the word about stuttering! Read on to see how some of our NSA’ers are spreading awareness and maybe give you a few ideas for how you can raise awareness right in your own community.

Fun Facts

Did you know that the National Stuttering Association was one of the first organizations to encourage people who stutter to speak out – fluently or not?

Two long-time NSA members, Paul Castellano and Barbara Hubbard Koval, organized the drive to win Congressional recognition for people who stutter, and in 1988 President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation establishing the second week in May 1988 as National Stuttering Awareness Week, which we continue to observe today.

Surveys show that people who advertise their stuttering and talk about it openly encounter fewer stuttering-related problems at school or work.

Bring it Home

Consider advertising your stuttering in your school, workplace, to friends or family, or even…the drive-through! We’ve got the bracelets, buttons, and brochures to help you get started.

Sport one of our awareness bracelets. Hang one of our ‘Right Now’ posters in your office. Wear one of our ‘Changing Lives’ t-shirts. We’ve got all of the bracelets, t-shirts, posters, books, and more to help you get started with advertising your stuttering in a simple and non-verbal way.

Send a press release to your local media.

Consider advertising your stutter in your workplace; we’ve got helpful tips and ideas to get you started. Not quite ready to put together a workplace presentation on stuttering? Consider hanging a ‘Right Now’ poster in your office or cubicle or sporting one of our ‘Changing Lives’ t-shirts on casual Friday for an easy, non-verbal way to advertise.

Join us!

The NSA and its members raise awareness of stuttering 52 weeks a year. National Stuttering Awareness Week gives us one more opportunity to educate and one more reason to hold our heads high. Contact us and let us know how YOU are raising awareness in your community! Here are just a few examples of how NSA’ers are spreading awareness: