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Break the Bias with Karuna Jose
Break the Bias with Karuna Jose

May 31, 2022

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  1. Can you tell us about yourself and your personal journey?

Hello, my name is Karuna Jose. Born and raised in the beautiful city of Mumbai, I live with my mother, who, like me, is hearing and speech impaired.

It is challenging to live in a world where almost everyone can hear and speak except me. I was diagnosed with hearing impairment at birth and since my childhood, I have always been apprehensive about talking to people, wondering what they would think of me.

Despite these challenges, I always had a positive outlook on life. I spend my leisure time playing badminton or volleyball and enjoy trekking. I also love travelling, it is like food for my soul!

 

  1. What significant barriers/challenges have you faced in your personal and professional life so far?

Communicating with people outside my community and their lack of empathy has been one of the biggest challenges for me. As I experience and navigate the world differently from those with normal hearing, people tend to undervalue and misjudge me when I use sign language to communicate.

I wish I could persuade and make them realise that being differently-abled does not indicate a lack of intelligence. I used to feel like an outsider in my surrounding, which impacted my self-esteem.

 

  1. How have you broken these barriers?

Being differently-abled hasn’t stopped me from accomplishing my goals. I am proud of my language. It is unique and has helped me navigate through life. I keep myself motivated by cultivating a sense of thankfulness and a positive outlook.

Most often, I type out messages or write them down to converse with those who do not speak sign language and ask them to do the same. At WTW, my current organization, few colleagues already knew the Indian sign language (ISL), making it easy to strike a conversation, express myself, and build healthy relationships.

 

  1. Who is your biggest ally and supporter through these challenges?

Technology has been an indispensable element of my life and has been my one true ally. I use messaging apps to communicate with my family and friends. While at work, since some of my colleagues understand and speak the Indian sign language; video conversations are mainly what we use to communicate during trainings, one-on-one meetings and daily interactions with the team.

 

  1. How have colleagues and leaders/mentors supported you through your career? Do you have any advice on how each one of us can be more inclusive?

When I first started at WTW, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the company's Inclusion & Diversity team had partnered with Eklayva Foundation to host a two-day training for my team to learn the fundamentals of Indian sign language. I admire how the company goes out of its way to make every colleague feel valued.

 My advice on being more inclusive towards differently-abled people is that one should be sensitive enough to understand our lifestyles and challenges. One of the best ways to learn about a differently-abled person is to initiate an interaction with them.

 

  1. Can you describe what inclusion means to you?

I did not choose to be different; it has its ups and downs and it all comes down to how accepting we are of our differences.

So for me, inclusion means being able to be yourself, feel accepted, appreciated, and respected as a member of society, and knowing that you are genuinely valued regardless of colour, disability, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity etc.

 

  1. How can organizations be more open and committed to providing opportunities to differently-abled individuals and those from other underrepresented communities?

As a first step, I would urge organizations to conduct regular sensitization sessions for their employees to better understand the background of differently-abled people; their childhood, struggles, state of mind, ways to collaborate etc. this will definitely help foster an inclusive environment.

ca

 

Karuna Jose

Senior advisor, Pensions Administration,
WTW Global Delivery and Solutions


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