MEMPHIS, Tenn. (February 16, 2011) – Jane Fraser, president, The Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org), issued the following reaction to the upcoming Oscar awards:

“One in 20 children stutter at some point; one in 100 go on to a lifetime of stuttering. Sixty-eight million people around the world stutter. If you ask the stuttering community what movie has helped them the most, The King’s Speech would surely receive at least 68 million votes.”

“Since its debut, The King’s Speech has provided context for understanding the plight of those who stutter. For a few months now, people have been talking openly and honestly about stuttering. Therapists are seeing an upturn in referrals and inquiries. More families are discussing treatment options. Myths are being debunked. Valuable and accurate information is being traded across email, Facebook and Twitter. Hope and healing is displacing ridicule and snickering. For people who stutter, The King’s Speech brings understanding and acceptance, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for so many to talk about stuttering in an atmosphere that is supportive, to sympathetic ears patiently waiting for each complete thought to end. People who stutter can hold their heads high. This is the movie’s greatest accomplishment.”