“Look at me, not the interpreter. I’m the one talking.” 👀 😬
That was James Townsend from Slalom at #LAUG last night, and it was one of the most remarkable #InterviewWithAnAdmin I’ve seen! 😍
James is profoundly deaf.
And BSL is his first language, not English.
I learned so much in that half hour about how deaf-impaired I was, in terms of my assumptions about the deaf culture, and about accessibility and how ‘ablist’ I am.
Here are some of the ways he changed the culture at Slalom, especially as a Senior Consultant having to run meetings:
🍩 Cameras ON. He needs to see the nods and the frowns and body language
🍩 Only one person should talk at a time (taking into account pauses for processing, or for his interpreter to catch up)
🍩 Say who you are before you speak (otherwise the poor interpreter is going “who’s talking?!” 😱 – which would be so true for virtual calls)
🍩 No back-to-back meetings. Those of us who can hear can close our eyes and still listen. He cannot.
🍩 When he stops signing, wait. The interpreter may still be catching up.
And his colleagues told him it made THEM better. 🥹
I mean… how many of us have sat in a call with six cameras off, people talking over each other (especially in contentious topics), and meetings back to back till 6pm?
🙋🏻♀️ Guilty.
Here’s something that made me giggle (because it’s so true):
“Take the waffle off the table.” 🧇
He doesn’t need War and Peace.
Just ask the question!
Thank you James for being so open with us. 👐🏻
And happy 12th birthday LAUG! ❤️
And CONGRATULATIONS Beech Horn for winning the award for being #aLlRoUNdaMAzebALlHuMEnBeAN 🫶🏻
Thank you ☁ Will TurnerSilvia Denaro (happy buuurthday guuurrrl! 🥳🎂), and Patricia R. for the cakes that were gluten-free AND vegan. 🎂
What a night!
I hope all #TrailblazerCommunityMeetups are as awsome as ours!! 🥰
In the pic below ☁ Will Turner missspelt James‘s surname so Silvia fixed it!!😆
#OnThePeiroll
#PickTheWaffleOffTheTable
