The European League of Stuttering Associations (ELSA) was set up in 1990 by 12 countries to promote a greater knowledge and understanding of stuttering and to bring together, as a top umbrella Organisation, the National Stuttering Self-Help Organisations of Europe. The Current executive board consists of Edwin Farr MBE (Chair),Anita Blom (Vice-Chair), Konrad Schäfers, and Gina Waggott (Youth).
ELSA is a trans-national, cross-cultural Organisation. It seeks resources only open to multi-national groups, extends the exchange-of-information network, and lobbies for stutterers at a prominent international level.
Its main roles are:
to link together and further the co-operation of Europe's national organisations.
to provide a forum for exchange of concepts and experiences in stuttering therapy and self-help.
to help represent the interests of stutterers to European and international bodies.
to put stuttering onto the European agenda to ensure that the needs and challenges faced by people who stutter are considered in a European context.