Voice and Media: Creating Space for People Who Stutter, Are Deaf, or Live with Tourette’s

🎧 👐 Presentation in French. Simultaneous English translation (textual, via mobile app) and LSQ interpretation provided.

Discover the findings of research highlighting the obstacles faced by people who stutter on screen and offering pathways toward fair and inclusive media representation.

About the Presenter

Geneviève Lamoureux is a PhD candidate in Speech-Language Therapy and Audiology at the Université de Montréal, where she is a member of both the Laboratoire d’innovations en orthophonie and the Labo CinéMédias. Also a person who stutters, she centers her research on reducing the stigma associated with stuttering and communication differences. Her interests focus on the intersections of representation, power, and inclusion. As part of her work, she initiated the creation of new media representations of stuttering, notably by producing “We Are the Audience” (set to be released in November 2025) — a collaborative short film developed with several partner organizations. The Voice and Media Festival is a continuation of her doctoral project, conceived as a space for creation, dissemination, and collective reflection.

🎧 👐 Presentation in French. Simultaneous English translation (textual, via mobile app) and LSQ interpretation provided.

Working in media often requires fluent and “perfect” speech, standards that become barriers for people who stutter, live with Tourette syndrome, or are deaf or hard of hearing. Despite these obstacles, some professionals break through this invisible ceiling, sometimes at the cost of considerable effort to adapt or mask their distinctive traits, with cognitive, emotional, and even financial costs. Four guests—journalists and actors—will share their experiences, the challenges they’ve faced, and their reflections so that the diversity of voices, in all their forms, can be recognized in the media landscape.

About the panelists

Andréanne Fortin is an actress, stunt performer, and comedian. A graduate of the École de théâtre de Saint-Hyacinthe in 2019, she is passionate about on-camera acting, a space where her tics caused by Tourette syndrome disappear completely. As spokesperson for the Association québécoise du syndrome de la Tourette (AQST), she is committed to raising public awareness and showing that, despite differences, it is possible to achieve one’s dreams. On television, she has appeared notably in STAT, Les Armes, Portrait-Robot, and of course in the role of Valérie in the series Vestiaires, among other film and advertising projects.

Pierre Chapdelaine de Montvalon has been a journalist at Radio-Canada since 2019. Now working in Montreal, he spent four years in Matane with the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine team, covering environmental issues in particular. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from HEC Montréal and a master’s degree in political science from Université de Montréal.

Since his first words, Clauter has been navigating stuttering, between tides and storms. His motto: “Control your power,” which for him means living fully with this fluency challenge. Clauter is an actor, host, coach, and motivational speaker. And yes, he stutters, and he’s proud of it. He loves sharing his experience because he too was inspired by other people who stutter. Today, it’s his turn to inspire and pave the way. Clauter has appeared in Le temps des framboises, Doute raisonnable, and 21 Thunder, among others.

Jérémie Bergeron is a journalist and news anchor in Montreal for the news program D’abord l’info on ICI RDI at Radio-Canada. Before joining the Montreal team, he worked in Toronto, Winnipeg, and Ottawa, where he covered major social and political issues in Ontario and Western Canada. Living with severe hearing loss, he believes this difference has shaped his curiosity and his way of listening to and telling stories about the world.

🎧 👐 Workshop in French only

This workshop invites participants to rethink listening. Through discussions and practical exercises, participants will learn to welcome silences, navigate discomfort, and develop attentive listening—skills useful in all professional and personal exchanges, particularly in journalism and facilitation.

About the facilitators

Aidan is the co-Founder and Executive Director of SPACE, a nonprofit creating more space for stuttering. He has been collaborating with the stuttering community as an ally for almost 15 years, and worked for over a decade in New York City as a theater maker and arts educator. Aidan is grateful to the many, many people who stutter who have taught him how to truly listen and communicate. He lives in Vancouver, BC.