Abu Dhabi resident Farah Al Qaissieh is working towards opening a dedicated support centre for people who stutter. After years of struggling with how others reacted to her speech, and losing the brother who shared her dream, she built a community where people can speak without being rushed or judged. The proposed centre would bring therapy, emotional support and education together.

The details

Emirati advocate Farah Al Qaissieh hopes to establish a dedicated centre in Abu Dhabi for children and adults who stutter.

Her ambition grew from personal experiences of exclusion and embarrassment, including an incident during childhood when a teacher interrupted her while she was trying to read aloud.

Her younger brother Mansour also stuttered, and the siblings shared the idea of creating a community where people facing similar challenges could support each other.

After Mansour died in 2015, Farah continued their work, developing the Stutter Community.

The group now has around 33 regular members and has previously organised gatherings involving people who stutter, families and supporters.

Farah wants the proposed centre to bring together speech therapists, psychologists and other specialists while also working with schools, universities and employers to improve understanding.

The project has not yet secured premises or funding.

Her wider message is that stuttering should not determine someone's opportunities or worth. Allowing people time to finish what they want to say is a small act of inclusion that can make a substantial difference.