‘We See and Hear the World Differently’: Dustin Giannelli on the Business Value of Disability Inclusion

This exclusive interview with Dustin Giannelli was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency.

Dustin Giannelli is a disability awareness speaker, advocate and entrepreneur who uses his experience of profound hearing loss to help organisations improve communication, accessibility and workplace culture. Diagnosed at the age of five, he is the Founder and CEO of HearsDustin, a certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprise.

His work combines lived experience with a career spanning sales, leadership, accessibility and inclusive design. Dustin has delivered keynotes, workshops and panels for organisations including Sony, NBCUniversal, Converse, Peloton, Ralph Lauren and Princeton University, giving him a practical view of how inclusion affects engagement, performance and trust.

In this exclusive interview with the Diversity and Inclusion Speakers Agency, Dustin discusses the five forms of communication, the commercial value of diverse perspectives and how psychological safety helps people perform at their best. He also shares the personal experience behind his “Be On Offence” mindset.

Question 1: How does a narrow understanding of communication undermine the effectiveness of diverse teams?

Dustin Giannelli: “Leaders often think of communication as speaking, but there are five forms: verbal, nonverbal, visual, written and listening. Listening is one of the most important for me.

“Being profoundly deaf, I have developed the ability to listen. I may not hear perfectly, but I listen.

“Eighty-six per cent of employees say miscommunication is a major problem in their workplace. Communication is therefore central to both organisational culture and success.”

Question 2: How does workforce diversity translate into measurable commercial value?

Dustin Giannelli: “Communication failures cost the global economy approximately $400 billion in lost productivity each year. The buying power of people with disabilities is $1.44 trillion.

“If an organisation’s leadership team is not addressing disability and wider diversity in the workplace, it is overlooking a major source of innovation.

“I am one of 48 million Americans with hearing loss. We see and hear the world differently, giving us an opportunity to examine existing systems and identify how they can be improved.”

Question 3: How does genuine inclusion affect team performance, employee engagement and profitability?

Dustin Giannelli: “Just over 20% of employees say they feel engaged at work.

“When people cannot bring their full selves to work or do not feel included, productivity and morale decline. Their sense of belonging suffers, they cannot perform at their best and they feel psychologically unsafe.

“They are less likely to meet their goals, which limits the company’s profitability. Creating an environment where people can bring their full selves to work is where inclusion begins to have a measurable impact.”

Question 4: What lasting shift in behaviour do you want audiences to make after hearing you speak?

Dustin Giannelli: “I want people to leave with an optimistic mindset: Be on Offense.

“This message began when I was 11 years old, five or six years after becoming deaf. I attended Michael Jordan’s basketball camp, where we met him every day.

“During his keynote, I was sitting approximately 30 to 40 feet from the stage. As soon as he began speaking, I realised I could not hear him. I sat there and pretended that I could because I did not want asking for help to affect my new friendships with teammates from around the world.

“I had just made the All-Star team and did not want them to think differently about me or my abilities. I laughed when they laughed and smiled when they smiled. I was on defence. I did not ask for help or bring my authentic self to that situation.

“That experience led me to create Be on Offense. Everyone has felt excluded at some point. This mindset helps people become more proactive and less reactive.”