My campaign to create more understanding spaces

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Becca and her poster

Becca Jones tells us about her idea of creating posters to make people who stammer feel welcome and comfortable.

My first campaign began with a simple idea: if more people understood stammering, everyday spaces would feel safer, calmer and more welcoming for those of us who stammer.

As someone who stammers myself, I know how small interactions can have a huge impact. Ordering a coffee, checking in at a restaurant or introducing yourself at a group activity can feel daunting when you're worried about being rushed, interrupted or misunderstood. My first campaign is about changing that — one organisation at a time.

The Poster: Starting Conversations

Last year I wrote an article about putting up a poster at my place of work. Since then, I decided to broaden the campaign, and I've created another poster to be displayed in as many organisations and businesses as possible, starting in my local area. The poster is designed to raise awareness, start conversations and send a clear message: people who stammer are welcome here, and they will be treated with patience and respect.

This campaign isn't about special treatment — it's about understanding.

I'm incredibly grateful to be working closely with STAMMA, who are supporting this campaign and helping bring it to life. Their expertise, guidance and commitment to improving understanding around stammering has been invaluable from the very beginning.

Beginning Close to Home

I started with my local running group Beyond Miles — a place that already feels like a supportive community. I created a poster especially for them (see below), which they kindly agreed to share on their social media pages, helping spread the message beyond just the physical space and into the wider community. This first step feels significant. It showed me how powerful collective support can be, and how willing people are to help once they understand why it matters.

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One of Becca's posters

Taking the Campaign Into the Community

My next port of call is local cafés and restaurants. These are places where communication is constant and where a little understanding can make a huge difference.

Alongside the poster, I'll be providing each business with a simple yet effective information pack for staff. The training takes just 10 minutes to read, but it offers practical guidance on how to communicate respectfully with someone who stammers — things like allowing time, listening patiently and not finishing sentences.

These small changes can have a massive impact. They help reduce anxiety, build confidence and allow people who stammer to simply be themselves without fear of judgement or pressure.

Why This Matters

This campaign isn't about special treatment — it's about understanding. When staff feel confident and informed, everyone benefits. People who stammer feel more relaxed and accepted, and businesses create a more inclusive, welcoming environment for all customers.

This is just the beginning. My hope is that this campaign will continue to grow, spreading from local spaces into wider communities, and helping normalise stammering through awareness and compassion.

If even one person who stammers walks into a café, sees that poster and feels instantly more at ease — then this campaign is already doing what it set out to do.

Becca is planning to make the poster into a download, but in the meantime if you'd like a copy to give to your employer or a local business, email editor@stamma.org and we'll pass it on to Becca.

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