How many hours have you worked in a week?
How many late nights?
How many missed lunches?

How many times have you said: “Just one more thing…”

I used to wear mine like a badge of honour.

Early starts.
Late finishes.
Back-to-back meetings.
Always available.
Always switched on.

At the time, I thought that’s what success looked like. Busy meant important. Stress meant commitment. Pushing through exhaustion meant I was doing my job properly. Even when I knew I was close to the edge… I kept going.

Until I had a stroke

No dramatic warning. No big moment where everything slowed down. Just like that… everything changed. And afterwards came something I’d never even heard of before.

Aphasia

A communication disability caused by damage to the brain. It affects speaking, understanding, reading and writing.

Not intelligence.
Not personality.
Not ambition.

Just the ability to communicate the way you used to. Imagine knowing exactly what you want to say… but not being able to get the words out properly.

Imagine returning to work and struggling to:

• Contribute in meetings
• Answer the phone
• Follow fast conversations
• Write emails confidently
• Or simply keep up with the pace around you

The reality for thousands of people

Across Greater Manchester alone, it’s estimated that more than 4,000 people are living with aphasia, including around one in three stroke survivors. And yet most workplaces have never even heard the word. That’s the uncomfortable truth. Many organisations talk about wellbeing, inclusion and people culture. But very few are prepared for communication disability after stroke.

And the reality is, aphasia doesn’t just affect older people.

Stroke can happen to business owners.
Managers.
Team leaders.
Parents.
Employees.

People in the middle of busy careers and busy lives. People like me.

Before my stroke, I worked in workplace culture and employee engagement through Anthem Engagement and NWEEG.

I understood pressure. Targets, performance, deadlines, growth.

What I didn’t understand at the time was how quickly health can change everything.

Now, through Aphasia Support, I speak to businesses about what happens after stroke.

Not to frighten people. But to help workplaces become:

• More understanding
• More patient
• More inclusive
• More human

Because for somebody living with aphasia, returning to work can be incredibly isolating. Not because colleagues don’t care. But because they often don’t understand.

Simple things can make a huge difference

• Giving people more time to speak
• Reducing interruptions in meetings
• Following up verbally with written information
• Avoiding finishing people’s sentences
• Reducing background noise where possible
• Checking understanding rather than pretending
• Creating confidence, not pressure

Most people with aphasia don’t want pity. They want support. Patience. Understanding. And the confidence to contribute again.

Recovery

One of the biggest challenges after stroke isn’t always physical recovery.

It’s rebuilding confidence.

Confidence to speak.
Confidence to socialise.
Confidence to return to work.
Confidence to feel like yourself again.

That’s why workplace understanding matters so much. Because the way an employer responds can shape whether somebody feels included… or invisible.

I never thought I’d stand on stages speaking publicly again.

Now I speak to organisations and at large events across Manchester and beyond about aphasia, communication and recovery through lived experience.

Not because recovery is perfect. But because recovery is possible.

And because most people have never heard of aphasia… until it affects them or someone they love.

Support

If your organisation would benefit from a free workplace awareness session around aphasia and communication after stroke, I’d love to start that conversation.

steve.smith@aphasiasupport.org