At least 1% of adults stammer. Add in those who might have dysfluent speech for other reasons, such as those with Parkinson's or those who've had a stroke, and this becomes a significant proportion of your customers or service users. Who, if they've had a bad experience with you in the past, may never return.
Whether you operate a call service, a customer support line, or work face to face with the public you are bound to come into contact with people who stammer. It's easy to get things wrong, with no ill intent, but it is just as easy to get things right.
We'd love to help you. It needn't be complex or expensive, but it can make the world of difference to your customers.
If you provide a public service, you have a legal duty to ensure your services are accessible for all your customers, regardless of their speech fluency. The Equality Act and the Disability Discrimination Act protect individuals who stammer from discrimination when buying goods or using services.
HOW WE CAN HELP
At STAMMA, we provide training and materials to help companies create trouble-free customer and service-user journeys. Sign up for a workshop or download our Stammering & Customer Contact guide below. Get in touch if you have questions or would like more tailored resources, training or information.
Guide
Download our Stammering & Customer Contact guide. This straightforward guide provides simple recommendations and practical tips to make your customer journeys accessible, including for example, dealing with silent calls.
If you work in healthcare, our Stammering & Patient Contact guide has more tailored guidance.
Workshops
Sign up for one or both of our free 30-minute workshops on Zoom. We've one workshop on taking calls from people who stammer, and another on working face-to-face with customers who stammer:
Workshop name | Date | Registration links |
Face-to-face | Tues 28th Nov, 1pm | Register here |
Taking Calls | Weds 24th Jan 2024, 1pm | Register here |
Bespoke Support
We offer bespoke workshops and resources on stammering inclusivity. The sessions can be tailored to meet your needs and can be conducted remotely or in person. Contact us at training@stamma.org or via our helpline or webchat service.