To: Stuttering Community
From: Keith Boss
Regarding: April 2015 eNewsflash


Current and future e-NewsflashesFacebook_like_thumb

We have changed the way we link up with you. We use Facebook) much more. Our e-newsflash, and One Voice  are now notified to you via Facebook. Please add us to your favorites; please look at our Facebook page often; please contribute; tell us what you like or want improved; click on LIKE whenever possible. Comment about isastutter Facebook page on your own Facebook page and ask your readers to visit and LIKE us! Tell us how we can help you or your local group. Let us know if you have any ideas about how to improve our Facebook use.


Message for 2015we need you

In recent months, the ISA has been reaching out to more PWS and SLPs/SLTs around the world. We have some momentum building up. We wish to keep and increase this momentum in order to help more PWS.

In the ‘Help we Need’ section below I hope you find a task you can help us with and make 2015 a very memorable year for your ISA.

WE NEED YOU


Help we Need

As mentioned above we have begun to pick up momentum and we want to continue this momentum and hope we can increase the speed so we can help more needy PWS in more under-served countries.

The tasks we need help with can be limited to sending pre-written emails to a specific list of email addresses (so good access to a computer with a good firewall and anti-virus program). This will take only a few minutes, not more than 30 minutes, each week once a pattern is established.

  • Sending emails to Member Associations about ISA business as requested by the ISA Chair or an ISA Board member authorized to send emails (6 or 8) needed;
  • Sending ISA Outreach Africa emails to specific PWS / SLTs as requested by the African Project Leaders (APL) team;

If you wish, it can be more:-

  • Become a member of the APL team (5 or 6 needed);
    Receive directions from the APL;
    Manage those volunteers who agreed to send the emails;
    Concentrate on up to 10 African Countries each.
    A mixture of any of the above tasks.

If you wish, it can be more:-

  • Do you have experience in managing websites and the interest to gain more experience helping the ISA to upgrade our website? Would you like to join the ISA web-team?
  • Do you have experience in fundraising and the interest to gain more experience in helping our fundraising team to raise money for future planned projects?

If you wish, it can be even more:-

There are 14 months left for the Current Board of Directors. At the World Congress in 2016, a new Board will be elected. There are a few vacancies for the next 16 months and there will be 9 vacancies in 2016. If you can spare 30 – 60 minutes each week and your national association pays the annual fees and you have not served on the ISA Board for more than 6 years,

  • Would you like to offer your name in July 2016 to get experience on the ISA Board of Directors?

If you need more information on any of the above six opportunities to develop your CV, please contact me at keithmaxkb@yahoo.com.


Africa

Some of the recent contacts we have in Africa are Mali, Ghana, Togo, Botswana, Morocco. These have been with people requesting help and/or letters sent to Universities. We have also been in contact with SLTs/SLPs working in Africa.

More information will be available as work progresses.


International Stuttering Awareness Day 2015 Online Conference

The International Stuttering Awareness Day Online Conference team, led by Bruce Imhoff (Australia), have started working on ISAD 2015. I expect something detailed from Bruce early in May. In the interim, I would remind you we will need papers / videos / experts. The team is finalizing details around the theme.

Education to children who stutter, people who stutter, families, friends, employers and employees;

Cooperation with people across borders, countries and associations, encouraging appropriate therapies, research and setting up well-prepared self-help organizations; to improve

Communication skills day by day, thus reducing the burden of stuttering to enable people who stutter to live and thrive as assets to their community and nation.

Look for more details in May on our Facebook page.


Two new Board Directors

I am very pleased to announce that the Board of Directors have appointed two new Directors.

Annie Bradberry and Hanan Hurwitz.

Many of you will know Annie (USA) from her work with NSA, her presence on the ISA Advisory Board and her brief time on the ISA Board of Directors around 2007/2008. Annie has a variety of skills, which will be useful to the ISA with the planned expansion of Outreach work.

Hanan (Israel) has proved his skills in recent months in his work on Outreach Project Africa. He is an active participant in a variety of discussions going on at the moment about ISAD / website / Vision / Mission / etc. We are fortunate he is able to spare time to spend on ISA work. He recently visited Taiwan and spoke with a class of SLPs at Taipei City University, as well as a local self-help group. This is more active outreach in Asia!

Currently, we now have nine Board Directors. This is the maximum our Constitution allows.


Other ISA Business

  • Our Treasurer will soon be sending out reminders for those associations who have unpaid 2014 invoices.If you need help, please contact our Treasurer Árni at <arniheimiringimundarson@yahoo.com> .
  • We now accept payment via PayPal.
  • We need your thoughts on what you want to see in the ISA website. We are looking for ideas on content. (We also need extra volunteers to join our web team). Do you want to test drive our Test website and comment on it based on your website experience?
  • We will be having a new Introduction page. In it will be a new Vision and new Mission.
    The Board is exploring:

Vision: A World that Understands Stuttering

The ISA will achieve this vision through
Education to children who stutter, people who stutter, families, friends, employers and employees;
Cooperation with people across borders, countries and associations, encouraging appropriate therapies, research and setting up well-prepared self-help organizations;
to improve Communication skills day by day, thus reducing the burden of stuttering to enable people who stutter to talk and to live and thrive as assets to their community and nation.

Mission:  The ISA improves the conditions of all those whose lives are burdened by stuttering in all countries; propagates ways to prevent stuttering becoming a continuous burden, especially in children; increases our active outreach; encourages use of universities, websites, associations, self-help organizations and social media; encourages use of the internet for all kinds of meetings including therapy, self-help and exchanging ideas by verbal communication, talking.

What do you think about these new statements?

  • World Congress 2016.
    No change from the information in February.
    We are looking at dates around July 1st – 5th 2016. It will be in Atlanta GA near the East Coast. A hotel has been arranged. The Hyatt Regency on Peachtree Avenue. More as soon as possible.
  • The stuttering disability
    During the debate the Board held on Vision and Mission, it was emphasized that people who stutter are under no obligation to seek therapy or to improve their communication skills if they are comfortable with their current abilities.
    Masuhiko (Japan) kindly also reminded us of
    “CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES”.
    Article 3 General principles

The principles of the present Convention shall be:

(a) Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons;

(b) Non-discrimination;

(c) Full and effective participation and inclusion in society;

(d) Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity;

(e) Equality of opportunity;

(f) Accessibility;

(g) Equality between men and women;

(h) Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities.


IFA Business

The IFA is currently seeking nominations for their seven awards to be announced at their Congress in Lisbon on 6th -8th July 2015. They need responses by May 15th at IFAnominations@gmail.com. The original message can be viewed at the first News item on http://www.theifa.org/

Their message is

Dear IFA Member,

It is time to reflect on those individuals who give so much of their time, expertise, and dedication to the stuttering community.

Please consider the following IFA Awards outlined below for those people deserving of recognition and appreciation.

With your nomination, please fill out the attached form (linked to this email) and submit to the chair of the Nominations and Awards Committee Chair Shelly Jo Kraft by May 15, 2015, at: IFAnominations@gmail.com

 

Clinician Award (2 awards): To recognize the often unsung heroics of a specialist clinician AND a non-specialist clinician who works to provide innovative and effective therapeutic regimens for people of all ages with fluency disorders (i.e., preschool children, school-age children, and/or adults) and their families. Recipients of this award will have demonstrated either or both of the following:

  • High standards of therapeutic work with people with fluency disorders, and/or
  • High standards of care within the context of limited resources or other constraints.

Nominations will be supported by narratives from clients/families and speech and language clinicians (i.e., peers).

 

Knowledge Development and Innovation Award: To recognize the accomplishments of an individual or group whose insightful and rigorous work has:

  • Facilitated new understandings of fluency and fluency disorders,
  • Demonstrated innovation in the field of fluency disorders,
  • Led to an increase in services offered to people with fluency disorders and their families, and
  • Led to fresh approaches to working with people with fluency disorders and/or their families.

Nominations will be supported by a description of the specific innovation or development and may be submitted by professional work colleagues and clients/families.

 

Supporter(s) of People with Fluency Disorders Award: To recognize the efforts of an individual or group who has made a unique contribution to individuals with fluency disorders, services to the community of people with fluency disorders, and/or public awareness of fluency disorders and related services. Nominations will be supported by a description of the specific contribution and could be submitted by those working in the field of fluency disorders, people with fluency disorders and their families, self-help group members, and others from the community.

 

Consumer Award: To recognize an individual or group of people with fluency disorders whose tireless efforts and often unique and creative activities have promoted the interests of all people with fluency disorders and their families. Nominations will be supported by a biography with reference to awareness-raising activities and could be submitted by those working in the field of fluency disorders, people with fluency disorders and their families, or self-help group members.

 

Unsung Hero Award: To recognize the heroic actions of an individual from the community of people with fluency disorders, parent or partner of person with a fluency disorder, teacher who has supported a child with a fluency disorder, or the like. Nominations of speech and language clinicians would not be included here; the Clinician Award would be more appropriate in this instance. Nominations will be supported by a description of the specific actions that would lead to the identification as a “Hero”. Nominations are open to submission by any person from the community of people with fluency disorders.

 

Lifetime Achievement Award (Exceptional): The Nominations and Awards Committee seeks nominations for an award in this exceptional category. This award is NOT expected to be gifted in every round of awards. This award would be given to an individual who, throughout a significant life span, has made a difference to people with fluency disorders in which the discipline itself has been influenced by and benefited from the particular contributions. The contribution should extend beyond one specific field (i.e., should not be limited to research or clinical practice). Nominations will be supported by a biography and would have the endorsement of several different persons in the community of people with fluency disorders (i.e., educators, individuals with fluency disorders, parents, clinicians, researchers, etc.).


My warmest wishes to you all, and I look forward to working closely with more of you during the remaining lifetime of this Board,

Keith
Keith Boss (Chair International Stuttering Association (ISA))