Dawn Baxter.

Background

About Dawn Baxter.

A Cardiac Arrest and coma in 2013 left me with temporary hearing and memory loss. I relied on BSL for communication and recovery and saw first-hand that the complex issues surrounding deafness meant that deafness was excluded from ED & I training - leaving a massive knowledge vacuum in the public and private sector. I was discriminated against. People assumed I was stupid, treated me like an idiot, and dismissed my 'accessibility' requests. From then, I worked pro-bono for D/deaf people facing discrimination and set up Deaf and Equal Ltd in 2018. All business leaders should have enough Deaf Awareness to grasp the truth of their own unconscious bias, stereotyping, and be aware of their companies 'hearing-centric' procedures. If staff use a telephone, they should know about RELAY, rather than cut deaf people off dead because they've never heard of it! As much as I would like every board of directors to want to do the right thing (because its just and right)- ultimately its the bottom line that counts So perhaps I should tell you that damages for Deaf-Discrimination are uncapped and will easily land in the 70 - 100k ballpark. But that's only the financial cost, the reputational damage is unquantifiable. Who wants to deal with a totally unnecessary loss of good will and lost revenue from clients, investors, staff and members of the public? You can't fix what you don't know is broken and in my experience Deaf-Discrimination is almost always accidental. That's where I come in - to help you KNOW what you DONT KNOW (and keep you out of court). Those we work with are stunned by their own ignorance and the last thing you want is a £70k lawsuit hanging over your head due to lack of training. Every time an untrained member of staff unintentionally treats a Deaf person less favourably, you're setting yourself up for financial risk. So, if you're a business leader and this has resonated with you, I invite you to a jargon-free webinar where I outline the main areas of Deaf-Discrimination which we use to promote inclusivity - and importantly - help avoid litigation. It will be 45 minutes of your time that will give you the tools you need to stay out of court, safeguard your company from litigation, and keep Deaf-Discrimination from slipping through the net. Don't wait for a lawsuit to put Deaf-Discrimination on your radar. Take action Lead your company towards Deaf Equality and a litigation-free future! Also - its FREE If you want to be the change, you can DM me here on LinkedIn, on Facebook or by email to: info@deafandequal.com