A woman who gets interrupted, ignored and hung up on due to her stammer is calling for a universal symbol to indicate a speech impediment and buy her patience.

Jessie Yendle, 31, developed a stammer aged three and grew up being bullied and teased for it at school.

Jessie says people such as substitute teachers struggled to understand what she was saying - and the pressure of trying to explain it just made her stammer worse.

And even as an adult, she says she gets interrupted and ignored - and sometimes people put the phone down on her after mistaking her for a prank caller.

Jessie feels life with a stammer could be greatly improved if a recognisable symbol was introduced - so people with stammers don't have to explain themselves every time they speak.

She said all that's needed is a subtle signal for people to know to "be a bit more patient and understanding" when conversing with a person who has a stammer."

Jessie, a content creator and campaigner, from Mountain Ash, South Wales, said: "My stammer used to frustrate me so much I pulled my hair out."

"As I got older I would ask people to speak for me when it came to ordering food in restaurants - and I once had the phone put down on me when I rang a takeaway trying to order a pizza."

"It's very frustrating when I get spoken over or people try to finish my sentences for me - it actually makes it harder for me."

"I just wish people would understand the basics - be patient, make eye contact, and don't cut me off. It's just respect."

"We live in such a fast-paced world that we take fluent speech for granted and don't think about people that struggle with that."

Jessie started speech therapy in primary school but said she still struggled over the years.

She said her biggest challenge was speaking on demand - such as answering her name on the register or saying lines in a school play.

Being put under pressure when speaking to someone she didn't know would also make it worse - making it hard for her to explain to them that she has a stammer.

She said: "I finished university and had a dream to go and work as a photographer in London."

"I travelled to the interview and I was so nervous it took me 20 minutes to say my own name."

"That was the end of my London dream - people don't realise it can affect your life in so many ways."

A symbol already exists to indicate a person takes longer to do things - but it's not specific to speech impediments.

Jessie feels that a symbol specific to speech impediments would take the pressure off people like her.

She said: "A symbol next to a child's name on the register would warn a substitute teacher they need more time."

"Or a symbol next to your name on your work email signature would mean the person knows to be patient if you speak on the phone."

"Or if you're in a coffee shop - it's hard when it's loud and fast paced, and you know you need to speak on demand and everyone's looking at you."

"That's when the symbol can come in - just show it to the barista on a keyring, and they know to allow you a bit more time."

"We're nearly in 2025 and I feel like there's a whole community being left behind."

Jessie's petition, on Change.org, calls for a 'universal speech impediment symbol', recognisable by all, to be introduced.

She has even designed a keyring already - and went onto Good Morning Britain to show it to the world.

With more than 5,100 signatures, Jessie is hoping to raise awareness and draw attention to the need for awareness.

The petition reads: "I wish to get this symbol passed by the government and parliament, for so so many to live a life where we aren't spoken over or have our sentences finished or laughed at."

You can sign her petition here: https://www.change.org/p/universal-speech-impediment-symbol