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 internet yet. Do let me know of anyone you think should be included, including any links for them (allan@atyrer.net).
Also look at ‘Stambassadors’ (actionforstammeringchildren.org) which has videos by people who stammer in different jobs.
Accountant
- Iain Wilkie, former senior partner at EY (Ernst & Young): Why stammering didn’t hold back my career at E&Y (cityam.com) 2012, An obsession with fluency in the workplace creates barriers for those of us who stammer (huffingtonpost.co.uk) 2017, Spotlight On … Iain Wilkie, disability change agent and founder of 50 Million Voices (purplespace.org), June 2019
- I am enjoying life (stamma.org), August 2020
- Getting to grips with the stammer (archive of stammering.org), 2016.
Air traffic controller
Note: check CAA Medical standards (caa.co.uk) which refer to speech disorders.
- BSA website article on Air traffic controlling with a stammer (archive of stammering.org), 1996
- Also see Pilot below.
Armed forces
- Captain J. Lang MBE, Defence Medical Academy (www.scottishstammeringnetwork.org), October 2020
- Let’s talk about health (stamma.org), July 2020 – nurse in the army
- Nothing was going to stop me being a soldier (stamma.org), May 2020
- Armed forces articles on former BSA website (archive of stammering.org)
- Stuttering in the Coast Guard (Ep. 413), stuttertalk.com, 2013
- Stuttering in the military with Captain Jody Fuller (Ep. 299), stuttertalk.com, 2011. Also Stuttering in the military and doing comedy (Ep. 111), Stuttering is Cool, 2011.
Banking
Call centre
- Brings her joy – Episode 78 (stutterrockstar.com), 2012 – working in a Bank of America call center
- Coping with phone fear in a call centre (archive of stammering.org), 2004
- Never off the phone (archive of stammering.org), 2008 – taking benefit claims over the phone.
Clergy
- Stuttering and faith with Father Scott E. McCue (Ep. 431), stuttertalk.com 2013, including preparing for a sermon as a person who stutters, professional challenges related to stuttering
- Stuttering clergy spread the word (huffingtonpost.com), 2012
- No ordinary ordination (archive of stammering.org), 1998.
Coaching/counselling
- Entering the dragon’s mouth (stamma.org), 2019 – counsellor
- Hold their hearts – Episode 112 (stutterrockstar.com), 2013 – job coach at an agency that supports people with developmental disabilities.
Computers
- Graduate software engineer (YouTube video), 2018 from Stambassadors
- 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.
Consultant
- My journey to becoming ‘The Stammering Communicator’ (stamma.org), Sept 2020 – sales and marketing consultant. debbiejollie.com.
Customer service
- A stammering odyssey (stamma.org), 2020 – customer service in banking
- Tales from the shopfloor (stamma.org) 2019 – retail and bar work
- Stammering at the enquiry desk (archive of stammering.org), 2009,- by an archivist
- Fight or flight – Episode 76 (stutterrockstar.com), 2012 – massage therapist
- Also see above Call centre and below Sales.
Driving
- Courtesy car driver: You cannot be serious (archive of stammering.org), 2014. A tennis fan landed a job as a courtesy car driver at the Wimbledon Championships
- Driving instructor at last (archive of stammering.org), 2005
- W v British School of Motoring, 2002 – an employment tribunal held it could not consider the substance of a claim to qualify and obtain a franchise with BSM.
Firefighter
- Stammering doesn’t define my capability as a firefighter (stamma.org), 2020, in the US – “I learned how my stutter would be gone in dangerous environments, yet talking in normal situations was much more difficult.”
- I could roar (stamma.org), 2019
- Case in the Ohio courts, 1993 (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. (Another case in 2020: Aspiring firefighter blocked by stutter wins settlement from City of Milwaukee (eu.jsonline.com), June 2020.)
Human resouces
- Louis Roden – human resources executive in Georgia on ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion.
Journalist
- Thriving as a sportswriter in the face of adversity (isad.isastutter.org) – ISAD Online Conference, October 2020
- Deputy head of international news at the Guardian (YouTube video), 2018, from Stambassadors
- Facing stuttering and not giving up with Kelly Snow (381), stuttertalk.com, 2013 – sportswriter
- Surprise! You’re on the air! (stutteringiscool.com), 2012 – magazine journalist finds himself facing a radio microphone.
- See also broadcaster.
Lawyer
- Stammering/stuttering and the potential for prejudice and discrimination in the workplace (medium.com), July 2020 – lawyer was told by one interviewer they could never put someone who spoke like that in front of clients, but a partner where he later worked said if anyone made an issue of his speech to simply tell them to “f*** off”
- The wonder of life (stamma.org), July 2020 – barrister and judge
- “A partner told me my stutter lost us work” (lawgazette.co.uk), March 2020, but worked successfully at another firm
- Intellectual property lawyer (YouTube video), 2019, from Stambassadors
- Corporate lawyer (YouTube video), 2019, from Stambassadors
- Corporate lawyer (YouTube video), 2018, from Stambassadors
- The lawyer’s speech: Stutter turns out to be ‘great gift’ (bizjournals.com), 2011 – employment litigator, including jury trials, in United States
- David M. Steiner, Assistant Corporation Counsel with the New York City Law Department. On ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion
- At the crossroads (archive of stammering.org), 2010 – deciding whether to be solicitor or barrister
- Case on fitness to practise as a barrister, 2010 – not on a stammer, but aphasia following a stroke. A barrister with a communication impairment was found fit to practise
- Myself.
Lecturer
See below Teacher / Lecturer.
Management
- Jack Welch: StutterTalk podcast Episode 104, 2013 – former Chairman and CEO of GE
- Keep On Keeping On – Episode 99 (stuttertalk.com), 2013 – office manager in retail showroom
- HR director at BBC (YouTube video), 2018, from Stambassadors.
Medical (eg doctor, nurse, vet)
- Becoming a nurse with a stammer (stamma.org), Nov 2020
- Let’s talk about health (stamma.org), July 2020 – nurse in the army
- The turning point that made me face my fear (stamma.org), June 2020 – general practitioner in Ethiopia
- Be determined to be yourself (radiopublic.com), May 2020: dentist
- Stuttertalk podcast Episode 489, 2015, Patrick Campbell, medical student
- Can I get a witness? – Episode 108 (stutterrockstar.com), 2013 – registered nurse
- Account by Karen Lewis, a registered nurse in Ohio, on ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion
- StutterTalk podcast Episode 274, 2011 – discussion of being a (male) registered nurse who stutters.
- Vet – Lee Reeves, Texas. On ISAD Online Conference 2000. Includes link to discussion
- Not just an event – Episode 97 (stutterrockstar.com), 2013 – vetinary assistant
- Clinical psychologist, NHS (YouTube video), 2019, from Stambassadors
- Physiotherapist and RAF reservist (YouTube video), 2018, from Stambassadors
- See also below Speech and language therapist.
Own business
- I cannot imagine life without my stammer (stamma.org), June 2020 – garden designer0
- When stuttering is a gift with Kevin Hartford (Ep. 439), on stuttertalk.com, 2014 – Kevin Hartford joins Peter Reitzes to discuss how stuttering prevented him from being hired for jobs, but also propelled him to start his own small business and go on to achieve great success
- Minding your own business (archive of stammering.org), 2006. Three people who started their their own business.
Performing and broadcasting
Actors
- Emily Blunt: Emily Blunt & Joe Biden discuss stammering (stamma.org), July 2020, How Emily Blunt’s stutter led her to a successful acting career (marieclaire.com), Feb 2020
- James Earl Jones (dailymail.co.uk) – the voice of Darth Vadar, and Mufasa in The Lion King. Also James Earl Jones (stutteringhelp.org)Lights! Cameras! Improv (stutteringiscool.com), 2013 – filmmaker and improv actor
- Three tough cookies – Episode 101 (stutterrockstar.com), 2013 – three women who stutter who have all recently made their acting debuts
- I’m gonna fight – Episode 98 (stutterrockstar.com), 2013 – seeking to get into musical theatre
- Getting to that place – Episode 79 (stutterrockstar.com), 2012
- Nicholas Brendon (cnn.com) – was Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- StutterTalk Episode 130 – Austin Pendleton talks about stammering and acting. 2009
- Performing arts student Nye Russell-Thompson on his one-man play about stammering ‘Just a few words’ (archive of stammering.org), 2014.
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 (dailymail.co.uk), 2011
- Radio DJ: Rising through the airwaves (archive of stammering.org), 2015
- My name is Jackie Bird, newsreader and lifelong stammerer – 2011, Daily Record. Also Jackie Bird (scottishstammeringnetwork.org), October 2020
- John Stossel, former co-anchor on ABC News: StutterTalk podcast, Episode 92, 2009
- See also journalist.
Comedians
- Ewan McPherson (scottishstammeringnetwork.org), October 2020
- An unusual heckler (stamma.org), 2019 – Aidan Greene
- Nina G www.ninagcomedian.com. Celebrating 10 Years of Comedy with Nina G (Ep. 671) (stuttertalk.com), 2020, Nina G YouTube video, 2012, and She’s Got Talent – Episode 83 (stutterrockstar.com), 2012. She has a book Stutterer interrupted
- Drew Lynch: The inspiring story of Drew Lynch, the comedian who stutters (thinkingslimmer.com), 2018, and Drew Lynch stand-up video (YouTube), 2019
- No offence intended (archive of stammering.org), 2013 – Chris Douce. 2013
- Mabel Slattery (YouTube video), 2012. A Google search for Mabel Slattery will bring up more
- Daniel Kitson (telegraph.co.uk), 2002 – comedian, won the Perrier Award
- ‘Shining a light on stuttering’ by Prof. Dale Williams and Jaik Campbell (archive of stammering.org), 2016 – Jaik is a stand-up comedian.
Singers
- Stormzy: Grime artist Stormzy receives support from followers after tweeting that he stammers (stamma.org), January 2020
- My song ‘So what?’ (stamma.org) – Katri Somerjoki, 2019
- Carly Simon (YouTube)
- Scatman John (Stuttering Homepage), 1995
- Mell Tillis (stuttertalk.com)
- Scroobius Pip – podcast on StutterTalk.com, Episode 199, 2010.
Social media
- Confidence: a stammer blow (stamma.org), August 2020 – running podcast and YouTube channel.
Personnel
See Human Resources above.
Pilot
Note: check CAA Medical standards (caa.co.uk) which refer to speech disorders.
- Flight instructor’s severe stutter disappears when he flies (flyingmag.com), 2017. Also YouTube video
- The sky’s the limit for pilot who overcame stuttering to fly (azcentral.com), 2016
- See also air traffic controller above.
Police
- Stuttering and Christianity with Craig Curry (Ep. 435), stuttertalk.com, 2014, includes discussion of working in US law enforcement
- Detective: he felt the stutter helped by disarming suspects and humanising him, but was complaining about a move to road patrol: Stuttering cop (YouTube), 2011. About the same officer: Stuttertalk.com
- Better late than never (stamma.org), August 2020, administrator in police.
Politics
- Joe Biden, US president-elect 2020, Vice President 2009-2017. Joe Biden: a president with a stammer (stamma.org) Nov 2020, Joe Biden & Emily Blunt discuss stammering (stamma.org) July 2020, Biden shares vulnerable story on how he overcame stuttering (CNN, YouTube) Feb 2020, Joe Biden (stutteringhelp.org), Joe Biden at Stuttering Gala (YouTube) 2008
- Ed Balls, former UK Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, former Shadow Chancellor. Links: Stambassadors video (YouTube) 2018, ‘Speaking Out’ by Ed Balls: extract on stammering (archive of stammering.org) 2016, and Ed Balls MP becomes BSA patron (archive of stammering.org) 2010
- Interview with Baroness Whitaker (stamma.org), 2019
- Parliamentary assistant: The parliamentary assistant (stamma.org), 2019, and BBC video ‘Your stammer shouldn’t hold you back’ (bbc.co.uk)
- Creigh Deeds (US), see Campaign Blasts Stuttering YouTube Attack As ‘Cheap Shot’ (foxnews.com), 2009
- Aneurin Bevan had a stammer. Some say Winston Churchill did as well (eg The Stuttering Foundation) but this is disputed. They were considered the greatest orators in the post-War parliament.
Project management
- Stammering gives me an edge (stamma.org) – female telecommunications engineer in the Middle East.
Radio/TV
- See above acting/ performing.
Sales
- Ann van der Berg – sales representative in South Africa
- Sales assistant: see Job talk (stamma.org). “[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” (2010).
Scientist
- Podcast: Disability in the earth system sciences, Part 1 (anchor.fm), July 2020, with scientist at the British Antarctic Survey
- Finding the community – Episode 114 (on stutterrockstar.com), 2014 – research intern working as primate behaviour monitor
- 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
- Speech and language therapist (YouTube video), from Stambassadors. 2018
- People who stutter changing careers to become SLPs – on the ISAD Online Conference 1999
- Carolyn Cheasman (guardian.co.uk), 2008, at City Lit, London
- Podcast with Lori Melnitsky, a US speech language pathologist, on ‘Making Room for the Stuttering’, 2010
- Speech and language therapy student: ‘Stammering can’t stop me’ (stamma.org), 2019.
Sport
- Kelly Brown, rugby player: New patron: Rugby star Kelly Brown (stamma.org) including video, October 2020, Kelly Brown (archive of stammering.org), 2008
- Leroy Cudjoe: The wing’s speech: How Giant came to terms with his stammer (independent.co.uk), 2011, rugby player
- Tiger Woods (stutteringhelp.org) – golfer.
Teacher / lecturer /education
- Teaching with a stutter (isad.isastutter.org) – ISAD Online Conference, October 2020
- Train your chair (stamma.org), August 2020 – university lecturer
- The wonder of life (stamma.org), July 2020 – teacher and professor
- Stamma trustee wins top teaching award (stamma.org), 2019 – maths teacher Abed Ahmed was crowned New Teacher of the Year. Abed on TV (YouTube video), 2019. About his becoming a teacher: Yes, Mrs Cunningham (stamma.org), 2019
- Classroom music teacher: An impossible career? (stamma.org), 2019
- Foreign language teacher (YouTube video), 2018, from Stambassadors
- Science teacher (YouTube video), 2018, from Stambassadors
- Maths teacher (YouTube video), 2018, from Stambassadors
- Student Services Manager at a sixth form: ‘Work in education, it would be fun’, they said…and it is’ (stamma.org), 2019
- Lessons on stuttering – Episode 113 (stutterrockstar.com), 2014 – elementary teacher and Girl Scout leader
- Teachable moments – Episode 86 (stutterrockstar.com), 2012 – teacher
- The case of the stuttering lecturer (stamma.org), 2009 – can stammering actually help you lecture? Grant Meredith was voted top lecturer at his university and 14th in Australia. Also Grant Meredith (stutterrockstar podcast), 2012, and Walking into the Coliseum: Another day at the office (Stuttering Homepage), 2011
- Let’s talk about my stammer (TES website), 2008 – five teachers who stammer
- Also driving instructor under Driving, and flight instructor under Pilot.
Trade union official
For more:
- Stambassadors (actionforstammeringchildren.org) – videos by people who stammer in jobs
- The list of jobs on the Stuttering Homepage.
