Stammering- a disability? Tough question. Many PWS will strongly deny that. But some would say ‘yes’ to it. But what is the government stand? If government were to accept it, it would have to extend its “reasonable accommodation” further to PWS. So, they side step the issue. Also, stammering does not easily fits into the mainstream concepts of disability (fixed, obvious, static, consistent). Here is an excerpt from an article on ‘Disability India Network’: …According to Census of India, a person is recorded as having speech disability, if she/he is dumb, or a listener does not understand speech. A person who stammers but whose speech is comprehensible will not be classified as disabled by speech. NSSO include among speech disabled, those who could not speak, spoke only limited words or those with loss of voice. It also include those whose speech is not understood due to defects in speech such as stammering, nasal voice, horse voice and discordant voice and articulation defects etc. In this case person with stammering voice are classified as disabled by NSSO where as they are not classified as disabled by the Census of India…( Kishor Bhanushali) Here is the complete article: http://www.disabilityindia.org/nsso-census.cfm Here is a link to GOI’s policy on disability. Good document- but who will implement it? And how? http://www.disabilityindia.org/nationalpolicyfordisable.cfm Another very good article about rural disabled in India: http://www.disabilityindia.org/rehabDisabled.cfm
(Reposted from SamagraIndia blog)
3 thoughts on “Stammering – a disability?”
Keith
(June 4, 2008 - 5:39 pm)I am considering this disability question at the moment.
School children, and other peers of a young age (say 5 to 11) pick up a herd mentality. The odd child out is split off from the herd and becomes a ‘loner’. That child, that ‘loner’ can build up comfort walls around themselves to protect them from the hurt. This is when the emotions of shame, fear of groups, fears of speaking in class or groups, fear of laughter while speaking, fear of ridicule, low self esteem and many more emotions start. It all builds up emotional stress and trauma. The hidden part of the Iceberg we all know about.
But who am I talking about above? A stammerer? A partially deaf child? A child in a wheel chair? A child with an artificial leg? A child with any other type of physical disability which may or may not include difficulty in clear communication?
The herd has no mercy. If the ‘disabled’ child has no real advantages (e.g.plays the piano; very good at sports) then isolation begins to take place. Once isolation starts emotional stress, the hidden part of the Iceberg starts. To this extent the stammering child is exactly like any child with any disability. All disabilities have their own Iceberg.
Can we do anything about this Iceberg in disabled children? Yes, we can. The younger we can start work on the Iceberg the better. The more we can involve all the disability charities, the better. We can combine to produce a very sustainable solution, and to attract more funds from places that fund disabled children’s charities.
The very simple action is to get a mixed (mixed in disability) group together for a week or so. Give them a challenge for all to complete, which necessitates all of them working together as a team, not as a group as ‘loners’. Once they are part of a team, concentrating on helping others with different problems, they have stopped thinking of themselves. This is the key aspect of growing out of their ‘being alone’, leads them into helping others so lifting their own self esteem, which begins to melt the Iceberg. (Remember once you begin to improve any one emotion, the rest begin to pick up as well.) Children learn to adapt more easily the younger they are in the right environment.
If you want to explore this further contact me at keithmaxkb@yahoo.com
yashpal961
(April 19, 2011 - 10:55 am)Hello Keith,
My self Yash..
I m stammer problem from childhood..
I had particular problem of stammer when i appeared in interview, On phone, Also in group of people.
Specially things actually happen suddenly and feeling everyone seeking me on stage and i feel in pressure, think hope not anything goes wrong and it goes wrong.
I tried many times..even i concerned one speech doctor..for this problem..he said no need for therapy..
I feel like i have phobia of fear if anything goes wrong and i m fumbling.. after the incident i think what should i do..i should perform better than this.
but i do not..
I need some help regarding this..should i need any type therapy or not?
In India is it called disability?
Thanks
Yash
Anonymous
(April 19, 2011 - 11:30 am)Please check http://stammer.in/menu-self-help-manual.html . Also check out http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Portals/English/Book_0012_tenth_ed.pdf and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8biSBPsoeg
Also keep checking for the commmunication workhops by tisa on this blog and do attend one!
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