Unleashing the Value of Deaf Employees: Insights from 'Don't Silence Your Talent' Book Launch Event
On January 31st, 2023, the launch of "Don't Silence Your Talent: Unleash the value of your deaf employees" took place at FORA in Soho. The book, written by our founder and CEO, Victoria Williams, is a call for businesses to recognise and value the unique skills and perspectives of deaf employees.
The launch event featured a Q&A session with Victoria, with Phil Burgess asking the questions, before the floor was opened to the audience. Valuable questions were asked by d/Deaf professionals and business leaders, who shared their experiences and the importance of inclusion in the workplace. It was an insightful evening with a lot of networking opportunities and fabulous food courtesy of Yvonne Cobb and The Deaf Chefs.
Victoria elaborated on why she is so passionate about changing the world for deaf people, mentioning her cousin Max, who was born Deaf.
"I was 13 when Max was born. I'm 42 now. [In] all of that time I'm hearing the same stuff from the Deaf community, the same problems, the same barriers."
Whilst Victoria is hearing, she made it clear that she is not representing Deaf people, but rather “bridging the gap”.
"I'm not here in this book representing deaf people, because that's not my position. I'm here seeing the problems that lie in the middle and always bridging that knowledge gap."
“Don’t Silence Your Talent” is a valuable resource for all business leaders and HR professionals. It offers a roadmap for businesses to create inclusive environments and unleash the full potential of their deaf employees.
“If someone got this and they could actually put these things in place, what a difference that would make.”
Victoria Williams is a highly-regarded expert in the field of deaf awareness and inclusion, having founded terptree almost 17 years ago. Through terptree, she has worked with various organisations to create inclusive workplaces and support deaf professionals. She is a passionate advocate for deaf inclusion and a sought-after speaker and consultant.
For more information about the book and the launch event, please contact the terptree team at books@terptree.co.uk
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