Thanks to NLS for breaking this story
Stuttering Awareness Groups Condemn McDonnell Campaign For Mocking A Disability
The National Stuttering Association has a question for Sheila Johnson, who ridiculed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds' stuttering:
Do you also make fun of people in wheelchairs, or do you believe that stuttering is the only disability it's okay to ridicule?
Jane Fraser, President of the Stuttering Foundation of America:
"It's never acceptable to mock stuttering any more than it would be to laugh at someone in a wheelchair. We work continually-- including a public service ad that ran in the NY Times Magazine yesterday to educate people about this tough disorder.
"Too many people still equate stuttering with being dumb. To imply that anyone is not capable of excelling to great heights or aspiring to our nation's highest offices is irresponsible and hurtful. Many bright people stutter: James Earl Jones, John Stossel, Joe Biden and Winston Churchill to name a few.
"We clearly have a long way to go!"
