Reflections on my first BSA Conference: inspiration, connection, courage and community

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A week later and I am still feeling buoyed up by the positivity of the British Stammering Association’s National 2014 Conference, held in association with the Scottish Stammering Network in Glasgow. I was not sure what to expect as I made the long train journey north on Friday 22nd August, arriving just in time to attend the City Hall drinks – a grand and fitting social event to mark the beginning of the conference.

Conversations flowed as readily as the wine – with old friendships quickly renewed and new friendships founded. I was struck by the warmth, energy and harmonious chatter as the evening progressed – and which set the tone for the rest of the weekend. People mixed and mingled freely at mealtimes, between presentations and late into the night. It soon became apparent that the social aspect was an integral part of the conference’s success for many of the delegates – as the early morning photos at George’s Square clearly testify!

Significant highlights for me included:

  • Iain Wilkie’s keynote on ‘Transforming Employability’. Drawing on research highlighting employers’ ignorance and misunderstanding of stammering, Iain outlined the evolution of Ernst and Young’s ‘Stammering Network’ since its inception in 2011, which led to the launch of the ‘Employers Stammering Network’ (ESN), a BSA supported initiative, in 2013. Combining personal and corporate narratives interspersed with thought-provoking quotations, Iain advocated a cultural shift towards diversity and inclusiveness underpinned by flexible support processes involving the shared commitment of both employers and employees. To this end he invited all present to open up dialogues about stammering at work in the understanding that ‘there is no courageous conversation without vulnerability’. More information can be found on the BSA website: www.stammering.org/help-information/professionals-and-business/businesses/unlocking-talent-employers-stammering-network
  • Co-presenting with Katy Bailey (www.free-speech.org.uk) on the relevance of the social model of disability for stammering and employment. Relocating the problem of stammering in society and offering participants a chance to identify the physical and attitudinal barriers experienced in the workplace enabled us to explore how prevailing norms, language and stereotypes can go unchallenged and become insidiously internalised. Practical ways of managing these oppressive external and internal barriers were then discussed. Here is our handout if you are interested in finding out more.
  • Dr Allan McGroarty’s reflections on ‘Dr Quack and his stammer cure: quick fixes, bogus treatments and charlatans’. An amusing and informative review on how to spot a ‘Quack’ following the growth of the Internet and social media. Allan concluded by reflecting on the important role that the stammering and professional communities need to play in questioning and challenging false claims about stammering therapy in the public domain.
  • RSM Jimmy Lang’s motivational speech on ‘Reaching the Top’. The sheer grit, determination and resilience that Jimmy has applied to progressing his career in the army are truly impressive. Furthermore, his willingness and commitment to using his experience and influence to benefit others has resulted in the Defence College of Health Education & Training (DCHET) joining the ESN and developing clearer systems and support processes for other military personnel who stammer. Jimmy’s personal story offered a direct and powerful challenge to the ‘why try?’ effect often reported in the research (Corrigan et al., 2009; Boyle, 2013) due to the internalisation of public stigma. Exposure to Jimmy’s encouraging and constructive ‘can do’ attitude was particularly timely for the student I sat next to, who was contemplating a career in speech and language therapy and questioning the implications having a stammer would have.
  • Convincing reports on the BSA impact at the AGM, with a persuasive video testimonial on the successful Facebook page, underscored the need for greater involvement in fundraising in order to safeguard the future of the BSA: “Ask not what the BSA can do for you, ask what you can do for the BSA!”
  • The Gala dinner at the spectacular Science Centre followed by a highly entertaining impromptu exploration of Glasgow’s nightlife.
  • Bob Adam’s and Trev Bradley’s dynamic, engaging and practical workshop on ‘staying safe on the streets’ – a salient reminder given the unfortunate mugging of one of the conference delegates in the early hours of Sunday morning.
  • The infamous ‘Open Mike’ session where delegates queued for the entire 90-minute session to speak out in front of the bigger group – many for the first time, some to share their conference reflections, others to signpost a helpful resource (e.g. the Opening Doors employment course run jointly by City Lit and the BSA) and one person to get some practice in before his daughter’s wedding later this year!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the 2014 conference possible, especially David Lilburn and John Mann, and to everyone who came and contributed to such a lively and memorable weekend.

In the online feedback, I was set the task of capturing the essence of the conference in four words. They would have to be: inspiration, connection, courage and community.

The next BSA conference is scheduled for 2016 – I’d highly recommend making a note in your diary now!

Sam

Boyle, M. (2013) Assessment of stigma associated with stuttering: Development and evaluation of the Self-Stigma of Stuttering Scale (4S). Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 56, 1517-1529.

Corrigan P., Larson J. & Rusch N. (2009) Self-stigma and the “why-try” effect: impact on life goals and evidence-based practices. World Psychiatry, 8, 75-81.