Tell us about your experiences in coffee shops

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What's your experience of ordering in coffee shops? Fill out our survey and help us make space to stammer. *Update: the survey is now closed.

Here's a real-life coffee shop experience that's typical of stories we've heard from our members over the years:

"Only a month ago… I went into a coffee shop and ordered a flat white and a croissant. However, croissant is not an easy word for me to say. I tried a few times until the barista ordered me to “spit it out!”." 

Behaviour like this is unacceptable. We want to understand how widespread such experiences are. If we find there's a problem, we want to create real change. As part of that change, we'll encourage coffee shops and cafés to make space for stammering. So that whether you stammer on your order or you don't, whether you hide your stammering or speak spontaneously, whether you use a fluency technique or stammer loud-and-proud, you can order your coffee, enjoy it and get on with your day.

Our survey

Our survey is now closed. We are eternally grateful for your responses, which will help the campaign. Keep up to date with everything on the Space To Stammer campaign page.

THE WIDER STRATEGY 

We're not going to put up with bad service or tolerate jokes about stammering any longer. We want companies to stop using voice-recognition services that are impossible to navigate for many who stammer. 

Our strategy for the next three years is called 'Space to Stammer'. We are going to create a culture in which routine considerations for those who stammer are nothing special. Akin to checking for wheelchair access. The goal is that stammering is seen as normal; it's just a different way of talking.

This is not about telling you to stammer more or less, or how you should talk. This is about ensuring that there are alternate ways that you can use a service or buy something. And that assistance is there if you need it. So that you can do those things like everyone else can.  

We will systematically target different industries in the UK, identify the barriers facing people who stammer and make clear recommendations for change. That's where YOU come in. Our campaign around making GP appointments in 2023 worked well because so many responded to our survey we sent. Your experiences helped us identify the issues and come up with clear solutions.