World Voice Day '22

April 16th is World Voice Day.

Those with SM are often seen as people who don't have a voice. But, they do. They just express their voice in ways that society doesn't always consider 'normal.' Speaking isn't the only way in which someone can use their voice, other ways that people can use their voice are: sign language, texting, writing, gestures, drawing, music, eye contact, body language etc. People with SM can often struggle to find the most comfortable way to express their voice, as society doesn't always consider it acceptable to use their voice in other ways rather than speaking.

Just because someone isn't able to use their voice through speaking, doesn't mean they don't have a voice. Their voice doesn't matter less because they are unable to express it to the full extent. We shouldn't have our voice not be heard, just because we can't communicate it in the most acceptable way. Help us express our voice- give us time, suggest other ways for us to be able to use our voice etc.

As a young child, I made up my own sign language to be able to communicate with my parents, but as I grew older and became more aware of the world, I stopped using it. I started to become aware that I was hardly listened to, because I didn't speak. Even then, I still have the same mindset now, but surely I shouldn't be surprised? There was even less awareness then, and I was constantly being let down from school, camhs and speech and language therapists and a decade later it is still happening- school, college, the local council, camhs, and more recently adult mental health services, too. Maybe I should have got used to it after so long, but I haven't got used to having SM either. SM controls every day, and every single thing I do in the day. SM doesn't just impact my ability to speak, it impacts so many other things too.

Having your voice heard is something which is necessary, especially by those who are supposed to help you. So when your voice is hardly heard, especially by those who are supposed to help you, it's easy to quickly assume that you don't have a voice- even when you do. Even though 5 sounds young to feel like you don't have a voice, it is, which is why over a decade later, I have finally found that voice. The voice that hopefully makes the world more aware of SM. The voice which shows others who have SM, or feel like they don't have a voice, that they do.

Speechless, Not Voiceless.