Dear Readers,

Welcome to this special edition of the Voice Of ELSA, the Newsletter of the European League of Stuttering Associations!

Since the last edition ELSA's work has continued, with some details described in this newsletter. Special mention goes to the successful Youth Meeting for young people who stutter, part funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, and held in Sweden in July 2000.

Soon after the Youth Meeting ELSA heard from the European Commission that it had been successful with a funding application for co-ordination activities at European level with an emphasis on fighting discrimination. The activities approved by the EU are for the production of an ELSA web-site, production of newsletters, leaflets and general running costs to administer these and other projects. Importantly, the funding albeit small, establishes ELSA, the National Stuttering Associations and the condition of stuttering firmly on the European Agenda.

The funding mentioned above is part of an EU package of measures to combat discrimination based on disability. Together with a recently EU sponsored study on the definition of disability and other European initiatives it is clear that disability will be in sharper focus over the coming years and it is only right that the stuttering community keeps in touch with the outcomes. All of us associated with ELSA believe that ELSA is well placed, in conjunction with the National Stuttering Associations of Europe, to take advantage of initiatives proposed by the EU and other international organisations for the improvement of conditions for people affected by the impairment of stuttering.

When you have time, please take a look at ELSA's web-site: www.europe.is/elsa. It is full of information with useful links, we hope you will find it a very useful resource. Many thanks go to Benedikt Benediktsson of Iceland for putting the site together. If you have any recommendations for improvements, useful additions or links please do not hesitate to contact us. There will be email addresses and post addresses in this VoE.

Many of you will know of the big event for PWS in Ghent this year, 23-26 July 2001. The World Conference for People who Stutter should be great meeting. This time around it is in Europe and organised by the VZW- BeSt, the Belgium Stuttering Organisation. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Edwin Farr (GB) Konrad Schaefers (D)

This newsletter has been printed with support from the European Community - The European Union against discrimination. The information contained in this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission.