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Published on: November 19, 2015
Exploring employers' beliefs, reactions, and knowledge regarding people who stutter
Megan M Young1, Courtney T Byrd2
1Department of Communication Disorders, New Mexico State University, 1317-1467 International Mall, Las Cruces, NM 88001, United States.
Purpose:
Vocational role entrapment and employment disparities have been well documented in adults who stutter. Employers' understanding of and attitudes toward stuttering may contribute, at least, in part, to these inequities. The primary purpose of this study was to expand prior research by exploring employers' beliefs, reactions, and knowledge regarding people who stutter. A secondary purpose was to determine the influence of age, gender, racial and ethnic background, and/or familiarity with a person who stutters on employers' attitudes (i.e., beliefs and reactions).
Method:
A sample of 331 employers from the six largest employment sectors in the U.S. participated in the study. To assess knowledge and attitudes toward stuttering, respondents completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S; St. Louis, 2011). Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression.
Results:
Most employers reported knowing nothing to very little about stuttering. Additionally, many were unsure about the veracity of common stuttering stereotypes relating to personality traits and etiology. Race and ethnicity, gender, and familiarity with a person who stutters were significant predictors of employers' attitudes toward people who stutter.
Conclusion:
Employers' misunderstandings of stuttering may perpetuate ableism and contribute to employment disparities impacting adults who stutter. Findings reveal a critical need for education and training for hiring professionals in the United States.
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