Sweden: Anita Blom

Stuttering, disability or handicap?

When I started to stutter, I was 9 years (yes, that late). From that day my life was limited. My parents did not want me to speak in public or even to family.At school I do not answer the questions, and laughed aloud at all so, I did. The teachers told me that there was no sense that I would read the language I would not get anywhere with my stuttering. The job I wanted, I could not because of my stuttering. The grade that I wanted, I could not because of the stuttering. The friends that I wanted, I could not because of my stuttering. I was forced into a small box and excluded from society. And I let it happen.

Look at me today. I have gone back to school and received the highest rating. I have made ​​many friends who take me as I am with stuttering and all. My family is proud of me. Speaking in public is the best I know. I travel around the world to talk about stuttering in different languages, THANKS TO my stuttering.And best of all, I got my dream job: I work with computers in school. I love computers and I love people and in this job, I combine the two. I can be something that others can just as well. Others are limited in their ignorance of the data while I have a lot of freedom because of my knowledge. I can be something that others want and my stuttering is not in the way anymore. On the contrary, my stuttering has decreased considerably and is sometimes hardly noticeable.  

So what I'm saying is: sure, my stuttering is a disability that causes it sometimes. But stuttering is not a handicap until someone (your surroundings, but even you yourself) makes it a handicap. So do not let anyone set your limits. You notice your limitations when you meet them. And even then, they should stop you. Test your limits. Route them. Is it not, then you have all tried to fall. Stuttering is not something you ARE. It's just one of many things you do.