Navigating the DMV: As Scary as Getting Stopped by the Police?

Download the "I Stutter Card"

If you are a person who stutters, or the parent of a child who stutters, it will come as no surprise to you that stuttering can often be misunderstood.

For more than 75 years, the Stuttering Foundation has been working to break down myths and counter misinformation about stuttering—especially with people and organizations of authority, like police officers, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and now, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) staff.

Recently, we were contacted by a woman who stutters about her experience renewing her driver’s license at her state DMV. During the mandatory vision exam portion, she had a problem with her eye test. That difficulty, coupled with her stutter, led to her being flagged, and required a mental health exam to complete her license renewal. As you might imagine, she experienced a wide range of emotions during her time at the DMV, and ultimately found herself frustrated and angry. She turned to the Stuttering Foundation for help.

“When people stutter, their difficulties getting words out are sometimes misinterpreted as resulting from nervousness or even mental health conditions,” said Ellen M. Kelly, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, Vice President for Professional Development at the Stuttering Foundation. “This is not the case. As for any speaker, situations that are less familiar or challenging may increase the frequency of interruptions in speech, including stuttering. The challenge is with talking and is not symptomatic of a mental disorder.”

In 2016, we learned of an American citizen who stutters returning to the U.S. from overseas travel being questioned repeatedly by CBP at the airport. At one point, the traveler was accused of lying about her stutter. As a result, she helped the Stuttering Foundation design and launch its “I Stutter Card” to assist people who stutter in challenging the misunderstandings faced during everyday interactions with people who may not be familiar with stuttering.

Since creating and sharing the “I Stutter Card” on our website, and social media channels, we have heard from numerous people who have used the card to educate and inform those who may question their ability to speak fluently during an interaction. One gentleman, experiencing worsening stuttering during Parkinson’s Disease progression, told of its use when stopped by a police officer while walking in his neighborhood.

At the Stuttering Foundation, we are thankful for the efficacy of the “I Stutter Card” as well as efforts people who stutter have undertaken to use it to provide accurate information about stuttering and people who stutter. Borrowing a classic tagline from American Express from few decades ago, our recommendation is “Don’t leave home without it!”

From the 2023 Summer Magazine

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bill Withers

While Bill Withers has long been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, many people probably didn’t realize he stuttered. He passed away on March 30, 2020.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.

James Earl Jones

Actor James Earl Jones, a Broadway, television and movie star, is well-known for his voice as Darth Vader in Star Wars and his book Voices and Silences. Jones has spoken some of the most memorable lines in the history of American film, but the man known for his voice was once afflicted with a severe stutter.

Lewis Carroll

The recent Disney version of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice in Wonderland, garnered a great deal of media hype. Even though the mainstream media has not made mention that Carroll was a person who stuttered, his family history gives credence to the discovery of the genetic link to stuttering. Carroll was born to parents who were first cousins; almost all of their eleven children, three girls and seven boys, struggled with stuttering past childhood.

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.