Thank you to @BDF for the shortlisting and congratulations to other nominees in this category Amy Nicholas of Morgan's Butchery and Mark Powell of Unilever.
We're excited for the ceremony!
The 50 Million Voices team is incredibly proud of Iain for being recognised in this category.
The ceremony will be hosted by @HSBC on 29 April at their offices in Canary Wharf.
The BDF describes this award as:
This award honours an individual for delivering measurable, positive change for disabled people within their organisations and, potentially, the wider community.
We're thrilled to announce that our Founder & Chair, Iain Wilkie, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Leader Award category at the Business Disability Forum's Disability Smart Impact Awards!
These reflections highlight something important: when we create the right environment, interviews become less about fluency and more about skills, potential, and fit.
A huge thank you to everyone who took part in this uplifting event.
#Stutter #Inclusion #Community
An interviewee shared:
"What I picked out most from the sessions this year is a reminder that the interview process is a 2-way conversation to understand if you're a good fit for them but more importantly if the company is a good fit for you. As an interviewee I often forget this."
One interviewer said:
"I enjoyed meeting two extremely creative, skilled and innovative women who stammer who were grounded and sure of their skills who were looking to the next step. It was a pleasure to be part of their journey."
Our welcome slide. It reads 'Welcome Back!' at the top, 'Group feedback' underneath and '23 March 2026', with the green 50 Million Voices logo on the left-hand side. Underneath the text there are headshots of Iain Wilkie, against a leafy background, and Shilpa Sagwal, dressed in red against a turquoise wall.
We closed our 10th Global Practice Interview Event yesterday with a well-attended feedback session, where participants reflected on their experiences from the week.
What stood out most were the insights shared - not just about stuttering, but about interviews more broadly.
Also a huge thanks to our employer partners EY, @Markel, Cargill, AIG, Mischon de Reya and TSB.
And most importantly, thank you to everyone who attended. We’re excited for the rest of the week and wish all participants the very best in their practice interviews.
A huge thank you to our trustees Elias Apreko, in Australia, and Chris Gemmell, in the UK, our Founder and Chair, Iain Wilkie, in the UK, our Finance & Operations Officer, Gina Waggott, in the UK, and our Global Coordinator, Shilpa Sagwal, in India, for helping lead the sessions.
We covered:
• What stuttering is and isn't
• The barriers people who stutter face at the interview stage
• The benefits and risks of disclosing a stutter at work
• Practical guidance for the upcoming practice interviews
• Breakout discussions where participants could meet and exchange thoughts
Front page of the Practice Interview Briefing presentation. The green 50MV logo is top left. Along the bottom of the slide are headshots of Chris Gemmell, Gina Waggott, Iain WIlkie, Shilpa Sagwal and Elias Apreko.
We kicked off our 10th Global Practice Interview Event yesterday with two 90-min educational briefings!
These sessions help set the scene for the week ahead, bringing together people who stutter, employers, and allies from around the world.
We’re looking forward to an open and engaging conversation!
We have a small number of extra places available, so if you'd like to join, please email events@50millionvoices.org.
#NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek
The session will:
•Highlight how stuttering is a neurodivergent condition and why that matters
•Explore the workplace impact of the intersectionality of stuttering with other neurodivergent conditions
•Explore how including stuttering in neurodiversity strategies can benefit employers and employees
🟢 Anita McKiernan, Irish, based in London - Anita is an ally and Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and Coach. Many of her clients also have additional conditions, such as ADD/ADHD and Autism. Anita is a visiting lecturer and clinical tutor at City St George’s, University of London.
🟢 Willemijn Bolks, Netherlands - Willemijn is a PWS and a freelance artist (@juststutter on Instagram). Through her art projects, she aims to support other people who stutter and share her experience in building better mental health.
The session will be chaired by our Founder and Chair, Iain Wilkie, a person who stutters (PWS), who will be joined by a superb panel:
🟢 Alex Harrison, UK - a PWS and IT Major Incident Manager working in the UK Civil Service and former trustee of STAMMA (British Stammering Association) .
Pink promotional poster for a virtual event titled “Stuttering and neurodiversity” taking place from 5–6pm on 18 March. The session is chaired by Iain Wilkie, Founder and Chair of 50 Million Voices and a person who stutters. Panellists include Anita McKiernan, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and visiting lecturer at City St George’s, University of London; Willemijn Bolks, an artist from the Netherlands who stutters; and Alex Harrison, an IT Major Incident Manager in the UK Civil Service and a person who stutters. The poster includes circular headshots of each speaker and the 50 Million Voices logo in the bottom right.
We’re so excited for our 10th Global Practice Interview Event, kicking off on Monday 16 March! 🎉
As part of the week, we’re hosting a special virtual session on stuttering and neurodiversity on Wednesday 18 March, 5-6pm (UK time) to celebrate Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
If it’s not there, please get in touch with Shilpa at events@50millionvoices.org and we’ll make sure you have everything you need.
We’re looking forward to a brilliant event in March!
Bright pink promotional poster for the “10th Global Practice Interview Event for people who stutter” by 50 Million Voices. The poster includes the infinity neurodiversity symbol and the 50 Million Voices logo. Text reads: “Includes session on ‘Stuttering and Neurodiversity’ for Neurodiversity Celebration Week”, “16–23 March 2026”, “Virtual event”, and “Applications closed”. Contact details shown: info@50millionvoices.org and www.50millionvoices.org with social media icons. On the right is a photo of a smiling man holding a laptop in a modern office setting with shelves in the background.
Thank you to everyone who applied for our 10th Global Practice Interview Event!
Our Global Coordinator, Shilpa Sagwal, has now been in touch with all applicants - both successful and unsuccessful.
If you haven’t received an email, please check your junk or spam folder first.
Applications close at midnight tonght (UK time)!
So far we've received applications from 16 countries. We have a few spaces left for some interviewees and interviewers.
Apply here: www.50millionvoices.org/practice-int...
If you’ve been meaning to apply - now’s the time!
⏰ Applications close 23 February
Find out more and apply: www.50millionvoices.org/practice-int...
“As someone who has been struggling with my speech for the past few months, 50 Million Voices is the single most powerful tool I've found to improve my interviewing skills." - Interviewee
Check out the feedback we received from our last Global Practice Interview Event in October 2025:
"I learned a lot from my interviewee as well as the education sessions and would highly recommend them to anyone." - Interviewer
Bright pink promotional graphic for the 10th Global Practice Interview Event for people who stutter. Text reads: “10th Global Practice Interview Event for people who stutter. Includes session on ‘Stuttering and Neurodiversity’ for Neurodiversity Celebration Week. 16–23 March 2026. Virtual event. Applications close 23 Feb.” The 50 Million Voices logo appears at the top. On the right, there is a photo of a smiling man holding a laptop in an office setting. Contact details and website information are shown at the bottom, along with social media icons.
Just under 1 week to go until applications close for our 10th Global Practice Interview Event!
Taking place 16-23 March (online), our event brings together people who stutter and interviewers for structured practice interviews, feedback, and learning sessions on stuttering and neurodiversity.
For interviewers, it’s also a chance to reflect on communication norms, challenge assumptions around fluency, and learn how to create fairer interview experiences.
📅 Online | 16-23 March
⏰ Applications close 23 February
Apply here: www.50millionvoices.org/practice-int...
Alongside our core educational session, and 1:1 or panel practice interviews, participants can participate in an optional learning session on stuttering and neurodiversity, all running during Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Promo poster for the 10th Global Practice Interview Event for people who stutter, hosted by 50 Million Voices. The poster states that applications are now open for a virtual event taking place 16–23 March 2026. It states applications close 23 February. It highlights that the event includes a session on “Stuttering and Neurodiversity” as part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week. The design features the 50 Million Voices logo, a neurodiversity infinity symbol, and a photo of a smiling young adult holding a laptop. Contact details and the 50 Million Voices website and social media handles are shown at the bottom.
Our 10th Global Practice Interview Event isn’t just about interview practice, it’s also about learning about how stuttering aligns with other neurodiverse conditions.
The event is free for people who stutter, with a modest sliding scale for allies.
Apply here: www.50millionvoices.org/practice-int...
What’s involved?
🟢 Take part as an interviewee or interviewer who stutters or, for allies who don't stutter, as an interviewer
🟢 Gain practical experience and insight in a supportive, structured setting
🟢 Attend a topical session on stuttering and neurodiversity on Wednesday 18 March.