Stammering PSAs Say ‘Don’t Be A Knob’ When Others Are Speaking
STAMMA, the UK’s national charity dedicated to supporting people who stammer, has initiated a campaign to ensure individuals who stammer are afforded the space and consideration they need during everyday interactions.
Unveiled in conjunction with International Stammering Awareness Day on October 22, 2023, the initiative underscores the challenges people who stammer face when communicating with call handlers and voice recognition systems.
The effort aims to spotlight how unhelpful responses from call handlers or voice recognition systems can transform routine tasks into distressing situations for patients.
Even worse, such encounters often result in repeated hang-ups, interruptions, or misdiagnoses, leading individuals to either delay making these calls or avoid them altogether.
To reach a wider audience, STAMMA has released a satirical film created in collaboration with creative agency VMLY&R London.
This poignant film underscores the daily hurdles faced by individuals who stammer in simple interactions with businesses, exemplified humorously by a scenario involving the return of a product.
The film follows Debbie, a customer attempting to return a coffin, but she encounters an automated system that doesn’t allow her to finish her sentences.
She then has to battle against a customer service agent who frequently talks over her and mispronounces her name.
The film reminds viewers with the message, “Don't be a company full of knobs,” paired alongside a collection of vibrant typographic posters designed by London-based illustrator BIFF.
“People who stammer face being interrupted, hung up on and having their sentences finished on a daily basis,” explained Jane Powell , CEO at STAMMA.
“Whether it’s ordering a coffee, returning an item, or reporting a lost credit card, what should be a straightforward experience can be made a nightmare when staff are unprepared for people who stammer. We want to end this.”
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[via Creative Salon and Stamma, images via Stamma]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.
