Columbus and New York Professors Inspired by Campaign Rhetoric to Launch StutteringIsNoJoke.org

COLUMBUS, Ohio, October 21, 2020 (Newswire.com) - Stuttering is one of the only disabilities still outwardly ridiculed in mainstream media. In entertainment, People Who Stutter (PWS) have long been portrayed as buffoons, idiots, and villains. From Porky the Pig in 1935 to 2017’s DJ in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the stuttering is used as a prop to make people look weak or amoral. 

The derision doesn’t end with fiction. In the current election cycle, prominent politicians are vilifying and reinforcing stereotypes of PWS by shamelessly mocking opponents and using their speech pathology to call into question their mental fitness. This inspired the professors to act.

When asked about timing, co-founder Prof. Benedikt noted, “October 22nd is International Stuttering Awareness Day. It is circled my calendar because I too stutter. It has impacted my daily life, from personal to professional, where I often must overcome the assumption that have a neurological or psychological disability.” 

Prof. Bodman said, “This year, we will do our part to educate the public about the negative stereotypes around stuttering while empowering fellow persons who stutter to come forward, overcome fear and ridicule, and find the confidence to follow their dreams.”

On Monday, Oct. 19 the pair launched a #StutteringIsNoJoke awareness campaign featuring:

• StutteringIsNoJoke.org
• Multi-platform hashtag #StutteringisNoJoke
• A call for PWS to come forward and post a personal video on the platform where their videos will be promoted across multiple outlets to help shed light on false stereotypes, empower PWS, and let the world know it’s not acceptable to make fun of PWS

About StutteringIsNoJoke: StutteringisNoJoke.org and the #StutteringIsNoJoke movement were founded by Josh Bodman with the help of a grant from CCAD, support from Gregg Benedikt of the School of Visual Art, NY, and assistance from a group of volunteer marketers. For decades, Josh has used his platform as a professional communicator in the visual arts to debunk the myths of stuttering. He is available for in-person and remote interviews.

Contact: 
Joshua Bodman (Columbus, OH), Chair of the Advertising & Graphic Design Department, Columbus College of Art & Design, joshbodman@gmail.com, 614-578-3209, https://www.linkedin.com/in/bodman

Source: StutteringIsNoJoke.org