MEMPHIS, Tenn. (January 25, 2011) – Jane Fraser, president, The Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org [1]), issued the following reaction to today’s Oscar nominations:

“The Stuttering Foundation gives a hero’s welcome to The King’s Speech, which has brought overwhelmingly positive attention to the plight of people who stutter. The King’s Speech, with its 12 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress nominations, continues to put a much-needed spotlight on stuttering. For the stuttering community, there are few, if any, more accurate portrayals of the anguish faced by people who stutter, or of the hardship it places on family and friends, than in this movie. Stuttering is most often the province of comic relief, and never of the hero. The King’s Speech gives the stuttering community a hero who inspires and a movie that promotes understanding and acceptance of the complexities of stuttering. We congratulate the directors, producers, writers and actors for their work, and their humanity in helping millions of people who stutter with understanding and hope.”