The wrong voice and the incorrect way of speaking generate problems: the battle against discrimination and bullying for those with speech impairments

MILAN – L’Hands-free pairing takes the field to defend everyone’s freedom to express themselves with their own voice, promoting an inclusive culture against all forms of discrimination, exclusion, foreclosure and bullying related to language and voice problems. To raise public awareness on this issue, a WhatsApp number managed by theAssociation Voice Helpwhich will allow those suffering from voice-related problems or those suffering episodes of voice shaming or witnesses it to report their own or others’ discomfort, receiving free psychological support from a specialized medical team. Choosing to offer a first aid service in written form helps to break down the vocal barrier that often blocks people with these disorders. All information on contacts and chat times Voice Help are available from 16 April on the website of the Association in one dedicated page. The number to contact the chat Voice Help And +39 3891560942.

A national observatory on the subject. The Voice Help chat tool will allow the Association to collect testimonials and manage a real national observatory on the subject, putting together for the first time a dossier of cases and episodes of discrimination to bring to the attention of the media and opinion public, with the aim of making society aware of the phenomenon of the voice shaming, already documented by numerous international studies. The Italian data testify to the urgency of intervening to promote a cultural change linked to the problems that have to do with the voice and, more generally, with the ways of expressing oneself. In Italy over one million people suffer from stuttering, of which more than 200,000 are under 18s. On the other hand, there are more than 570,000 minors who have developmental language disorders and 150,000 are aphasic subjects.

Exposed to discrimination and bullying. People with speech and language disorders are three times more at risk of discrimination and bullying than their peers. 70% of people with stuttering say they have lost at least one opportunity for commitment or promotion due to the disorder related to their voice. 20% say they have given up on a job or promotion due to difficulties with speech. Numerous competition announcements related to the armed forces also report some speech disorders as a discriminating characteristic and cause of unsuitability.

Kids teased at school, even by teachers. Giovanni Muscarà, founder of theHands-free pairingcomments: “The campaign 16voice you say was born with the desire to make theHands-free pairing promoter of a message of defense of people of any gender and age from any form of discrimination, isolation or bullying related to language and voice problems, changing the perception and attitude of the world around us towards those who suffer from these disturbances. We are talking about bullied children, candidates for military competitions rejected because they stutter, children discriminated against at school even by teachers, managers relegated to minor roles because of their language problems… thousands of cases that have been kept silent for too long”.

The “cultural revolution” on the problems of the voice. L’Hands-free pairing was born with the aim of making alive the voice of those who cannot be themselves due to communication problems. The goal is to make each person free to be themselves, being able to express the world they have inside without any limitation. The mission of Speakerphone is to start a cultural revolution on the problems related to voice, learning and communication disorders through awareness-raising, training, inclusion and research projects with the aim of breaking down discrimination.