Too often a lack of knowledge about disability, or understanding of how people manage disability day-to-day, prevents people from interacting with each other. People with a disability have the same interests, aspirations, skills and faults as anyone else. In fact, when you have a conversation with a person with a disability, you will probably find you have plenty of stories and experiences to share.

Respecting individual needs and appreciating personal experiences will help us all see beyond the disability and help create a stronger, more supportive and welcoming community.

It has been estimated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that there are approximately 14 million people suffering from speech and language disabilities. All these people may have different reasons as to the cause of their speech impairment, but they are all in the same boat. They all suffer the same consequences and have to deal with the same hardships. Whatever the cause may be, there are a number of things that any individual can do to improve their speech disability. By seeking help from appropriate individuals, speech disabilities may even be overcome eventually.