My name is Ridwana, and I am joining the Board of Directors as the Social Media Coordinator.
Growing up with a stutter has been challenging, particularly the struggle to find comfort in one’s voice without feeling a sense of hopelessness or frustration. In searching for resources to navigate these daily adversities, it became clear that the path forward isn’t about silencing the stutter, but about amplifying the person behind it. Achieving that comfort involves building community connections, reframing the narrative, and accessing the support you once wished you had as a child.
Community Connection
During a period of vulnerability, when I felt lost and unsure of how to accept my stutter, I began searching for the stuttering community. I started by reading stories and essays from people who stutter, as well as research submitted for International Stuttering Awareness Day. Connecting with these unique experiences inspired me to share my own, particularly regarding how stuttering is portrayed in mass media and the taboos surrounding it in different cultures. In 2024, I discovered the Canadian Stuttering Association (CSA, now CanStutter). I began volunteering with their 'Let’s Talk' workshops and eventually assisted at the annual conference in Montreal. The experience was transformative; in a room full of people who stutter, the pressure to be fluent vanished. There was no shame—only the comfort of knowing it is okay to take up space. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to meet talented, ambitious, and incredible individuals whose experiences and stories I had the true pleasure of hearing.
Reframing the Narrative
Joining the CSA, now CanStutter, has allowed me to reframe the narrative. Instead of viewing my speech with frustration and hopelessness, I have slowly begun to see it through the lens of acceptance. I’ve realized that perfect fluency is not something I need to force; rather, I accept it as an inherent part of my identity. It is like an additional feature of my own personal system - one that requires its own unique adjustments and adaptations to keep everything moving forward. Looking back, I realize my younger self would have deeply appreciated the grace and space to self-advocate for my stuttering, rather than the internal environment of anxiety I created by constantly demanding fluency. The 'Let’s Talk' workshops and conferences I have attended over the last two years have taught me an invaluable lesson: being flawless in disfluency carries the same inherent value as being fluent. Subjectively, the true measure of communication is the depth of the connection made and the resilience required to stay present in the conversation.
Accessing Support through Social Media
I have always been passionate about how social media has the power to connect and engage audiences to this great cause of bringing awareness to stuttering. Most importantly giving a platform to stutterers around Canada and worldwide to deepen their understanding and connections. I believe every post is an opportunity to educate the public and provide a visible platform for voices that are too often undermined. My goal is to use empathetic storytelling to translate complex human experiences into engaging, relatable content. As a part of the social media team, my goal is to make access to support more accessible and easy to visualize. My aim is to help CanStutter expand its reach among younger Canadians on different social media platforms ensuring that no young person who stutters feels they are navigating their journey alone, providing the kind of digital community and support that I would have deeply valued when I was younger.
Ridwana Miah is a paralegal by profession. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Law from Concordia University and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration at the University of Saskatchewan. Outside of school and work, she enjoys taking long walks, exploring Montreal’s coffee shops, reading and reviewing books, writing articles, and trying out new activities. As a volunteer, her goal is to make meaningful contributions toward raising awareness and fostering understanding of stuttering. She aims to strengthen our online presence to better serve the initiatives that solidify the CanStutter mission, ensuring every person who stutters feels connected and heard. Volunteering has given her the wonderful opportunity to connect with the community, share her own story, and learn from the diverse experiences of others.