Stuttering, disability and the higher education sector in Australia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to ascertain the extent to which Australian public universities and their associated disability liaison services offer web-based information for current or prospective students who stutter. The disability pages of the websites of all 39 public universities in Australia were visited and the information about disability services assessed according to 12 criteria developed by the authors. Results indicate that there is a dearth of information on Australian university websites available for students or prospective students who stutter. Only 13% of the sites reported any form of alternative teaching and assessment procedures for speech-impaired students and only 51% of 39 disability liaison officers responded when contacted by email. Such a student could not make an informed choice to enrol in a university based upon the information on disability services available on public Australian university websites.

‘Satan is holding your tongue back’: Stuttering as moral failure

“…Researchers and speech–language pathologists in the past decade have been employing and advocating for a disability studies approach in the study of the lived experiences of people who stutter and in the design of interventions and treatment approaches for such individuals (Boyle et al 2016 ; Campbell, Constantino & Simpson 2019 ; Meredith 2019 ; Meredith & Packman 2015 ; Meredith, Packman & Marks 2012 ; St. Pierre 2018 ; Watermeyer & Kathard 2016 ; Wylie et al 2013 ). St. Pierre ( 2012 ), one of the few theorists to explore stuttering as a disability, mentions as a key issue the liminal nature when describing the disabling experiences of people who stutter.…”

“I Didn’t Even Think Of This”: Examining The Influence Of Student Disability Accommodation Training On Basic Course Instructor Attitudes And Self-Efficacy

“…While there is not a personality character structure that defines all people who stutter (Sermas & Cox, 1982;Silverman, 2004), significant research has been devoted to the effect that a communicative disability may have in lives of PWS, including how a stutter effects the realms of education (Butler, 2013;Klein & Hood, 2004;Klompas & Ross, 2004;Meredith, Packman, & Marks, 2012), social life, including relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners (Adriaensens et al, 2015;Blood & Blood, 2004;Blood, Blood, Tellis, & Gabel, 2003;Craig, Blumgart, & Tran, 2009;Klompas & Ross; employment (Klein & Hood, 2004;Klompas & Ross;Meredith et al, 2012;Silverman & Paynter, 1990;Whaley & Langlois, 1996), self-esteem and identity beliefs (Adriaensens et al, 2015;Blood & Blood, 2004;Blood, Blood, Tellis, & Gabel, 2001;Blood et al, 2003;Bray, Kehle, Lawless, & Theodore, 2003;Klompas & Ross; and anxiety, depression, and social phobia (Craig et al, 2009;Craig & Tran, 2014;Ezrati-Vinacour & Levin, 2004;Iverach & Rappe, 2014;Kraaimaat, Vanryckeghem, & Van Dam-Baggen, 2002;Meredith et al, 2012;Tran, Blumgart, & Craig, 2011;Whaley & Langlois, 1996). Blood et al (2003) examined the self-esteem, perceived stigma, and disclosure practices of 48 adolescents who stutter.…”

“…A significant effect that stuttering may have of the life of PWS is its influence in academic and vocational settings. Adriaensens et al (2015) found that PWS have more negative scores in perceived school competence, and Meredith et al (2012) found that stuttering severity influences likelihood of high school graduation; the more severe an individual's stutter, the less likely they were to complete high school. Klompas and Ross (2004) offer a potential explanation for why students may not complete high school; participants in their study stated that their stutter had influenced their academic performance and relationships with teachers and classmates, specifically because of "difficulties with oral presentations, lack of understanding on the part of some teachers, and teasing by some classmates" (p. 297).…”

“…Those who had received more education found their stutter to be less of an issue (Klein & Hood, 2004). This information is valuable to educators, as the level of academic instruction PWS receive can have an influence on their future vocational success (Meredith et al, 2012). The following section will examine the influence of federal legislation on individuals with disabilities, as well as the relationship between students with disabilities and higher education institutions.…”