Helping Principality Stadium become stammer-friendly

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Kirsten at the Principality Stadium

STAMMA's Kirsten Howells describes working with one of the UK's biggest event venues to make their practices inclusive for people who stammer.

If you've ever been to a sold-out event at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, you'll know just how huge it is. With over 74,000 people packed in for world-class sport and live music, from the Rugby Six Nations to Oasis mega-gigs, it's one of the busiest venues in the UK. And that means it's likely that there are a lot of people who stammer walking through its gates at every single event.

This year, STAMMA teamed up with the Principality Stadium to help make sure those visitors with speech differences feel just as welcome and supported as everyone else.

Training that fits the job

This collaboration came about thanks to STAMMA trustee Oliver Wills, who works for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and is part of their inclusion network. With the WRU's clear ambition to make their Principality Stadium the most inclusive stadium possible, Oliver helped get the right people around the table and keep inclusion front and centre.

Over several months, we planned and schemed, working out how to do this well. From hospitality and retail managers to stewards and call handlers — we planned training that actually made sense for their day-to-day roles when speaking with people who stammer. Different departments interact with visitors in very different ways, so the training needed to reflect that. Watch the video below.

Ending the phone call nightmares

One of the most exciting outcomes of this work was a change to the stadium's phone system so that people who stammer can feel confident when phoning with an enquiry or to buy tickets. 

From this December, all callers hear this option near the start of the call:

"If you're happy to continue with the call, please press 1. But if talking isn't easy for you and you'd like our call handler to give you a bit more time during the call, press 2."

It's a simple change, but a powerful one. By pressing 2, callers can let the call handler know straight away that they might need more time or flexibility when speaking — especially during tricky moments like ID checks, where you may need to say your name or specific words. No awkward explanations needed.

Training delivered — and warmly received

In November, I, together with STAMMA member Anne-Marie Withers, delivered in-person training to four different staff teams at the stadium, followed by an online session for the contact centre earlier this month. Anne-Marie is a keen footballer and a great advocate for making sport more inclusive for players who stammer. She's previously done brilliant work developing a guide to stammering for football coaches in the Football Association of Wales working with players who stammer.  

The response to our training was overwhelmingly positive. Staff at the stadium asked thoughtful questions and told us how valuable it was to hear directly from people who stammer, not just about them.

And we're not quite finished yet — the stadium tour guides are next on the list, with training scheduled for early 2026.

What happens next?

In 2026, we'll be working with the stadium and the WRU to explore the impact of these changes. That includes looking at how many callers choose to 'press 2' and whether call handlers are consistently giving people the time and patience they need.

There are also plans to take this work deeper into grassroots rugby — creating a stammer-friendly training video for local and regional WRU rugby clubs, as well as guidance for coaches to help them build inclusive environments both in training sessions and out on the pitch.

It feels great to end 2025 on such a positive note, and to work with such a receptive and understanding organisation that is prepared to make changes to create a more inclusive environment for people who stammer.

This work is only possible thanks to your kind donations. Please consider donating to STAMMA to help us create space for people who stammer in 2026.