Stammering (or stuttering) is a natural variation in human speech—one that challenges the widespread assumption that smooth, uninterrupted fluency is the only “normal” way to communicate. An excellent example of this are a number of prominent public figures—both in India and globally—who stammer and continue to thrive in public life, These include among others Hrithik Roshan, actor and longtime supporter of TISA, Deepinder Goyal, founder of Zomato, Emily Blunt, actor, James Earl Jones, voice actor, and King George VI, whose story was depicted in The King’s Speech. It is estimated that around 1% of the adult population speaks with a stammer. At IIT Bombay, with a student community of approximately 12,000, that translates to about 120 students—a significant number, and yet one that is often invisible in conversations about inclusion and accessibility. In this talk, Dhruv Gupta — core group member of The Indian Stammering Association (TISA) — will explore stammering not just as a neurological or individual condition, but as a lived experience shaped by social attitudes, institutional barriers, and normative expectations around speech and fluency. Drawing from personal experiences and collective insights from TISA the talk will unpack the psychological, educational, and professional challenges faced by people who stammer, including the internalisation of shame and the pressure to “pass” as fluent. More importantly, it will situate stammering within the social model of disability, which shifts the focus from individual impairment to the disabling environments, prejudices, and power structures that marginalise certain ways of speaking and being.In a society that privileges speed, clarity, and assertive verbal performance, this conversation opens up critical questions: Who gets heard, and who is interrupted? What counts as “effective” communication? How do we build inclusive spaces—educational, technological, and social—that accommodate diverse voices, literally and metaphorically? This talk invites students, educators, and researchers to rethink disability beyond wheelchairs and ramps—to include the social politics of voice, silence, and the right to stammer.