Today's Edition
Mays Ibrahim (ABU DHABI)
Farah Hashem Al Qaissieh grew up in Abu Dhabi with a stutter — a speech condition that often left her feeling isolated and misunderstood. But what once felt like a limitation became the foundation for a movement that has helped hundreds of others across the UAE find confidence and community.
“I see stuttering as just another accent,” Al Qaissieh, founder of the UAE’s first support platform for people who stutter, told Aletihad in a recent interview.
“The UAE is home to people from so many parts of the world, and with that comes a mix of rich accents. I see stuttering as no different; it is simply another accent, another way of expressing ourselves,” she explained.
“Just as we embrace different accents, we can also embrace the voices of people who stutter.”
Her journey from being a self-conscious child to becoming a national advocate began with self-acceptance.
“During my university years, I came to understand that the way I speak is part of who I am, not the whole of who I am,” she recalled. “That shift in perspective allowed me to work with my stutter instead of against it.”
In 2013, that understanding inspired her to launch “Stutter UAE”, a non-profit initiative that provided resources, workshops, and a sense of belonging for people with speech disorders.
It grew from a small support network into a national platform known today as “The Stutter Community”, which promotes inclusion through awareness campaigns, public events, and school outreach.
“When I launched Stutter UAE, it began with a simple question: who else in the UAE shares this unique experience of speaking?” Al Qaissieh said. “Over the years, I have been blessed to witness individuals move from feelings of shame and guilt to finding freedom and growth. That transformation reinforced for me how deeply our self-perception shapes the way we experience the world.”
Her advocacy reached international audiences in 2016 through the short documentary “Just Another Accent”, which chronicled her story and was screened in the short film category at the Cannes Film Festival.
Two years later, her efforts were recognised at home when she received the Abu Dhabi Award from His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council – an honour she describes as “a message of belonging and encouragement” for people who stutter.
Debunking Misconceptions
Through her advocacy, Al Qaissieh sought to correct some widespread misconceptions about stuttering, like assuming it’s caused by nervousness or that people who stutter need help to complete their sentences.
“In reality, this can be discouraging and could make the person who stutters feel unseen,” she explained.
What people who stutter really need is time, patience, and more supportive spaces, especially during their early years at home and in school, noted Al Qaissieh.
“When people who stutter feel heard, seen, and valued in these environments, they are far more likely to thrive later in the workplace, and in the wider community,” Al Qaissieh said, noting that it’s important to shift the focus from the way a person speaks to their talents and abilities.
‘Your Voice Matters’
Today, Al Qaissieh sees growing empathy and understanding in the UAE toward people with speech conditions – a sign, she says, of a more inclusive society.
For young people who stutter, her message is: “Your voice matters exactly as it is. Speaking at your own pace doesn’t take away from your message, it enriches it. True communication is about connection, honesty, and presence.”
If she could go back in time and speak to her younger self, Al Qaissieh said she’d tell her to stop trying so hard to fit into someone else’s rhythm.
“I would remind her that her worth was never measured by how quickly the words came out, but by the honesty and authenticity behind them…I would want her to know that she was already enough, exactly as she was, and that her voice would find its place in the world, not despite the stutter, but through it.”
The world observes International Stuttering Awareness Day on October 22. Established in 1998, the day highlights the experiences of people with speech differences and encourages communities to challenge misconceptions and celebrate the diverse voices that make up the global stuttering community.
