National Inclusion Week® 2025: Why Now is the Time to Act on Deaf Inclusion

Deaf Umbrella
Sep 15
2 min read

Inclusion is the foundation of a fair, respectful, and thriving workplace.

This year’s National Inclusion Week® runs from 15–21 September 2025 with the powerful theme Now is the Time. It’s a reminder that inclusion can’t wait for “the right moment” or a bigger budget. Every step we take today has the potential to change someone’s experience tomorrow.

At Deaf Umbrella, we live this message every day. As a Disability Confident Employer, we support Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in workplaces and education, and we help teams build the knowledge and skills to work inclusively.

Deaf Umbrella Disability Confident Employer

Why Deaf inclusion needs action now

Deaf and hard of hearing employees and students often face avoidable barriers:

Meetings without interpreters or note-takers
Staff unsure how to communicate effectively
Missed information due to reliance on spoken announcements

The solution? Practical, everyday inclusion steps:

Providing BSL interpreters or Communication Support Workers in meetings and training.
Offering Deaf awareness training to all staff.
Ensuring recruitment processes are accessible from application to interview.
Making physical and digital spaces accessible — ramps, captions, lighting, and more (Access to Work scheme)

Deaf Awareness Training for companies by Deaf Umbrella London

From awareness to action

Awareness is the first step. Action is where the real change happens. Here are three ways to start:

Get educated – Bring in Deaf awareness and disability inclusion training for your teams.
Listen and adapt – Talk to your Deaf and disabled staff. Ask what’s working, what’s not, and act on feedback.
Embed inclusion in policy – Inclusion isn’t just an event week. It needs to live in your processes, budgets, and leadership priorities.

During National Inclusion Week®, Deaf Umbrella will be sharing daily tips, insights, and real-life examples of inclusion in action. We want to help employers, educators, and colleagues see that the time to act is now, because waiting means losing talent, trust, and opportunity.

Ready to start?

Inclusion begins with action — and we’ve made it easier for you to take those first steps.

📥 Inclusive Workplace Toolkit: Supporting Deaf Employees and Invisible Disabilities

📥 A Step-by-Step Guide for Hiring Deaf Candidates

📥 Access to Work (AtW); Your essential Guide

👉 You can also explore more practical advice and tools on our Support for Employers page

And don’t forget that this week our Instagram channel is packed with daily content to help you bring inclusion to life. From easy-to-digest memes that explain barriers, to downloadable posters, to small daily challenges… It’s all there to support you and your team.

📧 Plus — we’ll be sending out an exclusive newsletter on How to Be a Deaf-Friendly Employer. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it!

Subscribe NOW

Follow along, share with colleagues, and start building inclusion into your workplace today.