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From: Alan Badmington
Date: 18 Oct 2006
Time: 16:33:22 -0500
Remote Name: 81.77.206.254
Hi Kelly, Please feel free to call me Alan. Being addressed as 'Mr Badmington' makes me feel a little long in the tooth ;-) Thank you for your kind remarks. It was interesting for me to write about the various ways in which technology impacts upon the lives of persons who stutter. I totally agree with you that there is a lack of public awareness about stuttering. That's why I embarked upon a programme of talks to community organisations (in the UK) back in 2001. I speak for an hour and relate the story of my life, with many stories about the difficulties that I experienced. The talk is entitled, 'Lost for Words'. Humour figures prominently, because I have found that I can use it to good effect when attempting to make/explain a serious point. I conclude with a question and answer session, during which I learn that people are genuinely interested in the subject. There are always several people in the audience who know someone who stutters. I feel that PWS could do much more to 'educate' the public, friends and family members. Can we really expect them to know what is happening (or how to react) when we block etc? Having said that, I fully understand that many PWS are unwilling, or do not feel confident enough, to speak openly about their 'darkest secret'. I have found that greater openness can greatly assist desensitization. Incidentally, my programme of talks has escalated drastically during recent years. During 2006, I have more than 30 such commitments. In addition, organisations are inviting me back on 2nd, 3rd and 4th occasions, to speak about non-stuttering topics. I enjoy it immensely. I greatly appreciate your participation in this threaded discussion. Kindest regards Alan