John Nisbet

Congress debated the issue of Stammering/ stuttering and voted to work to raise awareness of what is a disability - but often not recognised as such.

Congress committed to working alongside the the British Stammering Association Scotland, which seeks to promote early intervention for pre-school children to prevent lifelong stammering and to counter bullying and discrimination within and outside the workplace.

Speaking in the debate UNISON's John Nisbet said; "Stammering is not simply a speech difficulty but is a serious communication problem. People who stammer may avoid certain words or situations which they know will cause them difficulty. It, therefore, goes without saying that those barriers will have consequences in the workplace.

"And if an employee has a stammer, they may not be aware that this is a disability and may lose out seeking help. UNISON has campaigned on behalf of disabled members for a long time and one of the issues we believe is crucial to that campaign is to challenge negative attitudes and prejudices from employers and fellow employees."

The motion was passed unanimously

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