Dane Isaacs on the social stigma of stuttering.
Statistics
have shown that approximately 1% of the people worldwide stutter, and there is
still many misconceptions about the speech disorder. During the show Back Chat
on Bush Radio, Stellenbosch researcher Dane Isaacs interviewed to discuss the
social stigma that surrounds the speech disorder.
With a speech trait such as stuttering, it
can often be linked to negative social identity. There are many challenges for
people who have the speech trait of stuttering, for instance it becomes linked
with negative social identity. For someone who has developed the speech trait
at an early age are often mocked, either in school or in the workplace. There are
still common misconceptions, which surrounds someone who stutters, many people
still endure discrimination and prejudice because of their speech trait.
As Dane Isaacs explains in an interview on
Bush Radio relating to his experience, he explained that during his University
years, he wanted to take up a course to become a Clinical Psychologist, a field
that requires an intense process of doing interviews making oral assignments
for the study to be a big thing. With Dane, even though being a potential
candidate for the course, he unfortunately not accepted because of his stutter.
For kids in school who have this speech
trait, it could unfortunately make teachers or students perceive them as an illiterate
individual, reading a loud and presenting orals are often the challenges that
kids in school deal with because of the speech trait. The approach towards stuttering,
according to Dane should not be accepted, but to be accommodated as a way of
speaking. If stuttering will be accommodated rather than accepted it will reach
a breakthrough in society as it should not be seen as a problem that needs to
be fixed.
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