Examples of jobs done by people who stammer

This page gives examples of people who stammer doing various jobs. I have taken particularly people you can read about on the internet in relation to the job, so that you can find out more.

This page shows only examples of jobs and should not be taken as any kind of representative sample. Certainly don't assume that there isn't someone who stammers doing some job because it isn't mentioned here. There almost certainly is. It's probably just that I don't know of it appearing on the intenet yet. Do let me know of anyone you think should be included, including any links for them (atyrer2000@yahoo.co.uk).

Air-traffic controller

BSA website article on Air traffic controlling with a stammer
Also see airline pilot below.

Acting / performing

Actors

James Earl Jones (link to dailymail.co.uk) - the voice of Darth Vadar, and Mufasa in The Lion King
Nicholas Brendon (link to CNN) - was Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
StutterTalk Episode 130 - Austin Pendleton talks about stammering and acting - 2009
An actor's life (link to BSA website) - 2008

Broadcaster

Radio presenter: My stammer is now no worse than a hiccup: Radio 5 Live's Shelagh Fogarty on how she beat the condition that would have ruined her career (link to dailymail.co.uk) - 10/7/11
My name is Jackie Bird, newsreader and lifelong stammerer - 13/1/11, Daily Record

Singers

Carly Simon (link to youtube),
Scatman John (link to Stuttering Homepage)
Mell Tillis (link to nefsky.com)
Scroobius Pip - podcast on StutterTalk.com, Episode 199 (2010)

Comedians

Daniel Kitson (link to telegraph.co.uk) - comedian, won the Perrier Award in 2002
Out on a wing (link to BSA website) - Jaik Campbell, comedian (2003)

Army

A number of army articles are linked off the BSA employment page.
Podcast interview with a (female) soldier in the US military - on Stuttering is Cool, Episode 67 (2009)

Call centre / phone

Coping with phone fear in a call centre - on BSA website (2004)
Never off the phone - taking benefit claims over the phone. On BSA website (2008)

Church

No ordinary ordination - an ordained deacon with a stammer, on the BSA website (1998).

Computers

Advice from a Veteran of the High Tech Industry from Gunars Neiders, systems engineer/computer programmer at the Boeing Company and a registered counselor, Washington. On ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion.

Customer service

Stammering at the enquiry desk (link to BSA website) - by an archivist
My partner Christine, who has a stammer, was a senior customer services officer, in charge of customer service at six libraries. Feel free to email her on red_squirrels@yahoo.co.uk you want to discuss it.

Driving instructor

Driving instructor at last - on BSA website (2005).

Fireman

Case in the Ohio courts (i.e. in the United States) - held that a person who stuttered at interview but could do the job of a firefighter had been unlawfully discrimated against.

Human resouces

Louis Roden - human resources executive in Georgia on ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion.

Lawyer

David M. Steiner, Assistant Corporation Counsel with the New York City Law Department. On ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion.
Myself

Lecturer

See below Teachers.

Management

Jack Welch: StutterTalk podcast Episode 104 - former Chairman and CEO of GE.
Content wins more respect than style - by David Adams, Chief Executive of the £11 billion Railways Pension Fund, is on the BSA website (1996).

Mechanic (motor racing)

Keeping the wheels on - link to BSA website (2007)

Nurse

Account by Karen Lewis, a registered nurse in Ohio, on ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion.
StutterTalk podcast Episode 185 - discussion of a US trainee nurse talks being refused a reference by one of her clinical instructors when she wanted a job in the emergency room rather than on the more usual surgical floor.
One day, Eric woke up and found that words failed him - on BSA website (2002)

Personnel

See Human Resources above

Pilot

Podcast interview with an airline pilot who stammers - on Stuttering is Cool, Episode 84 (2010)

Police

StutterTalk podcast Episode 131 - with two US police officers who stammer. (2009)
Detective: he felt the stutter helped by disarming suspects and humanising him, but was complaining about a move to road patrol: Stuttering cop (link to YouTube), and Stuttering Monroe Cop Fights Reassignment (link to wlwt.com) (article and video, 15/6/11).

Politics

Ed Balls MP (link to BSA website).
Andrew George MP - link to Speaker's Conference (2009) on BSA website.
Joe Biden (link to YouTube) - US Vice President
Creigh Deeds (US) - see Campaign Blasts Stuttering YouTube Attack As 'Cheap Shot' (link to Fox News) - 2009
Winston Churchill and Aneurin Bevan both had a stammer. They were considered the greatest orators in the post-War parliament.

Own business

Minding your own business (link to BSA website) - 2006

Radio/TV

'Stammering on the radio': various articles linked off BSA employment page.
John Stossel, former co-anchor on ABC News: StutterTalk podcast, Episode 92.
See also acting/ performing.

Sales

Ann van der Berg - sales representative in South Africa
Amy Legatt, sales assistant: see Job talk (link to BSA website). "[My manager] once told me I was the best sales assistant she'd ever met! Praise indeed! This was partly due to the fact that I also regularly achieved the highest weekly sales in the team."

Scientist

Made for the job - decoding the human genome is no obstacle with a stammer - on BSA website (2001)
Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are said to have had stammers - two of the greatest scientists of all time. Similarly Robert Boyle and Joseph Priestley.

Speech and language therapist

People who stutter changing careers to become SLPs - on the ISAD Online Conference 1999.
Carolyn Cheasman (link to guardian.co.uk) and Rachel Everard (link to BSA website) at City Lit, London.
Podcast with Lori Melnitsky, a US speech language pathologist, on 'Making Room for the Stuttering', 24/5/10.

Sport

Kelly Brown (link to BSA Scotland website). - rugby player
Leroy Cudjoe: The wing's speech: How Giant came to terms with his stammer (link to independent.co.uk), 7/7/11 - rugby player
Tiger Woods (link to Stuttering Foundation) - golfer
Steve Graham, professional poker player - podcast on Stuttertalk.com Episode 121.

Teacher / lecturer

In front of the class (link to BSA website) - Ramesh talks about the strategies he finds helpful in his job (2010)
The Case of the Stuttering Lecturer (link to BSA website) - can stammering actually help you lecture? Grant Meredith was voted top lecturer at his university and 14th in Australia.
Once more into the deep (link to BSA website) - teaching at a school for young people with behavioural issues (2009)
'Beyond the imperfections' (link to BSA website) - being a trainee teacher with a stammer (2008)
Let's talk about my stammer (link to TES website) - teachers who stammer (2008)
Right - I'll prove them wrong! (link to BSA website) - from installation technician to professor of public health (2006).
One day, Eric woke up and found that words failed him (link to BSA website) (2002)
Stammering in law lectures (link to BSA website) - article by Michael Jefferson, a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sheffield (2000).

Vet

Lee Reeves, Texas. On ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion.

For more more see the list of jobs on the Stuttering Homepage.

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