People with stammers 'shut out from essential services' due to voice recognition

A charity is warning that voice recognition systems could be shutting people who stammer out of essential services when they call their bank or try to make appointments.

The warning comes as part of Stamma’s ‘End the Phonecall Nightmare’ campaign, which is highlighting the barriers many people who stammer face when making calls.

A survey of 356 people who stammer found nearly two-thirds had a poor experience during their most recent phone call.

Participants reported being talked over, interrupted, trapped in voice recognition loops and hung up on.

Just one in six were given the opportunity to tell a business or call handler that they stammer before or at the start of a call.

Nearly a quarter (24%) said voice recognition systems failed to understand them.

More than 50,000 people in Scotland are believed to have a stammer.

‘It’s impacted my career’

Videographer Ewan McPherson knows those challenges first-hand.

He told STV News: “My stammer has impacted my career. Recently, I was taking a phone call from a potential client. I started to stammer when I mentioned I was a videographer and video editor.

“The phone call never quite recovered. The man at the end of the telephone was a bit uncomfortable and, potentially, I may have lost that client.”

Ewan says he first developed a stammer aged four.

“School was a frightening place, especially having to speak in class. Children can be cruel and it does impact on your confidence a wee bit.”

He says he stammers on certain vowels, and struggles speaking in public and on the phone.

But he says it’s made worse by the misconception that the speech issue can be “fixed”.

“I believe it’s okay to stammer – it’s just a different way of communicating,” he said.

“I had a manager who would interrupt what I was saying when giving presentations and say ‘take a breath and you’ll stop stammering’ – but there is nothing wrong with it.”

For Ewan, the increasing use of voice recognition systems has become a particular challenge.

“It can be problematic. If I’m having to use my name as a security code and, if it’s an automated service, the fact the stammering on the ‘Eu’ bit of Euan means that sometimes it can be difficult to get through and I really need to speak to a human being.”

He says he has friends with a stammer who refuse to make phone calls altogether.

Ewan recalls speaking to a man with a stammer who was finding a phone conversation particularly difficult.

“What I knew helped so much. I told him I have a stammer myself, just take your time and if it’s easier meet me in public. He was very happy about that. It can make such a difference.

“We just need a little more time and understanding.”

‘People are experiencing huge issues’

Stamma chair Roger Pim, who grew up with a stammer, hopes to improve public understanding of speech differences.

“The most effective solution is to be patient, give people time to talk, don’t jump in and try to help because, in effect, that’s the worst thing and makes it harder.”

The charity says businesses have a legal duty to anticipate and meet the needs of disabled customers so they can access services.

It has been working with call centres to create more inclusive options for people with speech difficulties.

“If a person stammers, the voice recognition doesn’t necessarily know what’s going on It assumes the person doesn’t know the answer,” he said. “We have a lot of members experiencing huge issues booking doctors’ appointments, dealing with electricity companies and other services.”

He said the charity’s wider aim is to ensure people are not limited by their stammer.

“Growing up with a stammer is an incredibly challenging experience, especially in the teenage years. We want to change awareness and behaviours.

“A lot of people shy away from communication, try to hide their stammer, and it impacts career choices and life choices.

“We’re trying to ensure people aren’t held back by their stammer and it doesn’t define them.”