UK disability discrimination law and stammering / stuttering
Starbucks asks a customer’s name when he or she orders a drink, and writes it on the cup. In this particular case, when the customer stammered on his name the barista allegedly wrote RRR…ichard on the cup. The customer found this extremely offensive and humiliating. He complained on the Starbucks Facebook page. The barista was … Read more
A teetotal customer with a stammer was initially refused a coffee at a pub, because staff thought he was drunk. His slurring was due to a stammer. He tried to explain this but staff disagreed. The manager only approved the order after a friend stepped in and confirmed he had a stammer. Link Stammerer refused … Read more
A person with cerebral palsy was trying to take out a subscription to a sports channel. The caller said that the person who took his call kept saying ‘What?’ and ‘Sorry?’ although they could understand him, then started to laugh at him and hung up. After the sports station was contacted, managers listened to the … 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
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