UK disability discrimination law and stammering / stuttering
‘Case studies’ are examples of things that actually happened as regards stammering. However they didn’t go to court so there is no court decision.
An employer agreed to move a person who stammers to his own small office, in the light of social anxiety in an open plan office. A person with a severe stammer worked in an open plan office which was reasonably noisy and where social interaction was frequent. He found, over time, that working in this … Read more
A job applicant who stammers was provided with facilities at an interview where he could type answers into a laptop and these would be projected onto the wall or a large screen. Case study A job applicant mentioned his stammering on the job application form. There was a question in the form about whether he … Read more
The lady on a helpline laughed at someone’s stammer and said ‘You can talk perfectly well if you want to’. A person who stammers rang a public helpline. The lady at the other end laughed at her as she was trying to speak. When the caller said that wasn’t acceptable, the lady replied: “You see, … Read more
A person wanted two days off work for an intensive stammering course. The employer was initially only willing for one of the days to be paid leave. The employee’s claim for the second day to be paid leave also was refused at the first stage of the employer’s internal grievance procedure. However, it was allowed … Read more
This case raises issues of physical arrangements for an interview, signs that an interviewee who stammers is at a substantial disadvantage (questions not answered ‘fully’ or ‘properly’), and weighting of information on application form. There was no tribunal decision in the case as it was settled out of court, without admission of liability by the … Read more
Example of a case settled by the Disability Conciliation Service (no longer in existence): “A man with a severe speech impediment was refused service at a local pub and subjected to derogatory and insulting remarks by a member of the bar staff, who alleged he was drunk. A meeting between the two parties was set … Read more