The article “Stutterer speaks up in class; his professor says keep quiet” by Richard Pérez-Peña presents the reality of the life for a sixteen year old student with the disability of stuttering[1]. His name is Philip Garber Jr. and he is attending two college classes at Country College of Morris. His earlier education is from home-school and a small charter school, and his meeting with the college history class was surprisingly harsh. He is one of the few with this disability that is willing to speak up in class; others mostly keep quiet, and are overseen by their teacher. The problem has been between him and his professor. Ms. Elizabeth Snyder has sent him an e-mail confronting his problem by denying him to ask and answer questions in her class. Her resistance toward him was also displayed when he had to hold his hand up for almost the whole 75 minutes class because he wanted to ask a question. Since she overlooked him, he didn’t get the opportunity to do so.
The biggest problem for stutterers - both in school and in public - is that stuttering is not faced as a disability. This is something other students, professors, and others need to learn about. Stuttering is scientifically proved to be caused by physical and hereditary effects, not psychological as earlier believed. The school claims they do attempt to accommodate students, but when Garber Jr. reported the professor’s behavior to the dean, the only suggestion from his part was to switch class.
As I read this article, I started to think about how it would feel not be allowed to speak in class, and have a possibility to respond to new information. Humans are in general very fond of showing their knowledge and share their ideas. This bright student is deprived an opportunity to participate in class, and feel successful in what he contributes with. I also believe that, when quieting people with different sorts of disabilities, we lose diverse and engaging new ideas. I would maybe understand the professor if she chose not to let Garber Jr. get the word every time, because it would take more time for him to speak. That doesn’t mean that she never should let him speak. If a student is so excited to ask a question that he holds his hand up for almost 75-minutes, I would believe it is an important and good question that’s worth hearing. Being a student myself, I know that good answers often helps a whole class understand better, and it can open up for an interesting conversation.
I support the suggestion that more knowledge about stuttering will be helpful for all the stutterers in the society. For example, in Norway we have experienced that campaigns that make people aware have been positive. Campaigns that shows the problems people with disabilities faces, and also that most disabilities don’t affect the head, helps people understand how to behave and react. This has contributed a positive effect on the lives of the persons affected. I hope the school, and other American schools, will continue their attempt of accommodate students, and even increase their effort. The student featured in the article met difficulties that he in an ideal world would never have met, and we should always look for possibilities to make our world better. In the work of shaping the future, the school is an important institution. That’s why they should make an extra effort to make a positive environment for understanding and accept for differences.
[1] Pérez-Peña, Richard. “Stutterer speaks up in class; his professor says keep quiet” The New York Times October 10th 2011. Web. October 16th 2011
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