disability advocate
•
profoundly deaf
•
Storyteller
•
business professional
•
mental health advocate
•
disability advocate • profoundly deaf • Storyteller • business professional • mental health advocate •
the dei speaker you’ve been looking for
Spreading diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility throughout Boston and beyond
Dustin was diagnosed with a profound bilateral hearing loss at age five and began wearing hearing aids. Being deaf and adaptive has allowed Dustin to overcome life’s daily challenges and spread positivity in a powerful way and he’s here to share his story with you.
Dustin’s mission is to bring awareness to the challenges and solutions that give individuals with (and without) hearing loss the equitable access they need to succeed. HearsDustin is a platform where Dustin shares his stories and experiences, inspire others, and work with brands that aim to create more inclusive and accessible culture for everyone!
DUSTIN HAS DELIVERED SPEECHES TO the FOLLOWING organizations
“Sometimes you meet people that just light up the room and have such a great way of communicating and making you feel lighter and better about everything. That was my experience meeting Dustin Giannelli. His energy, positive attitude, optimistic view on all things, and ability to connect with people he just met for the first time were both impressive and contagious.
Dustin, what a pleasure it was to meet you. Loved your energy, how you approach life and the challenges it throws at us, and the message you shared. Every organization needs to invite HearsDustin! I am so grateful for our ENABLE ERG for bringing in Dustin for a hybrid session on the importance of communication and accessibility. Thank you, Dustin!”
- VP, Chief of Staff at Progress Software
“Your energy is not only contagious, but truly inspirational! Your authenticity and passion with which you spoke resonated so deeply with us.
I went home and did the communication exercise with my oldest daughter! She loved it and it sparked so much great conversation about out of the box thinking and how there are so many ways of communicating. Even though she is only 7 years old, you could see new perspectives and thoughts being unlocked. She connected our conversation to the adversity my youngest daughter faced when she was non verbal for 3 years and how we used multiple communication channels to make connections with her.❤️ ”
- Manager, Employee Communications and Engagement
Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
Employee Resource Groups are voluntary, employee-led groups who aim to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with their organization’s values. The groups exist to provide support, assist in personal or career development. These allies help to create a safe space where employees can bring their whole selves to the table.
The Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Converse’s Global HQ, “the Disability Network,” invited Dustin to speak at their welcome back to the office event in January, which was both in-person and virtual.
Dustin shared his most popular keynote, “The Importance of Communication and Accessibility in the Workplace” and demonstrated an interactive workshop on communication with the crowd.
Click each of the circles below to learn more about this engagement and click “Book Dustin” below to inquire about having Dustin at your ERG’s next event!
Click the images below to learn more about each topic
HEARSDUSTIN IN THE MEDIA
HearsDustin at Converse HQ's Welcome Back to the Office event in January.
Dustin posed on stage during Runway of Dreams, a New York Fashion Week event in Brooklyn, NY.
Shining light on Kulture City and TD Garden's collaboration in bringing (4) sensory rooms to the arena.
NESN invited Dustin to share his keynote "The Importance of Communication and Accessibility in the Workplace."
Dustin appeared on WBZ | CBS Boston News to shine light on the law encouraging all public TVs to enable closed captioning.
Dustin brings awareness to the laws allowing those with a disability to pre-board flights.
The Hearing Loss Association of America selected Dustin as their Master in Ceremonies for the '21 and '22 New England Walk4Hearing.
Dustin collaborated with the TD Garden to bring awareness to the accommodations provided to their guests with disabilities.
Dustin highlighted Peloton's attention to accessibility and ability to Bluetooth his hearing aids to the bike.
UNH's Communication Sciences and Disorders professor invited Dustin to speak to the students studying to become audiologists and speech pathologists.
Dustin appeared on WBZ | CBS Boston News to speak about the FDA rule enabling access to over-the-counter hearing aids.
Dustin was invited to the prescreen of the movie, CODA, with his close friend, Rick McGaughey, who is a CODA.
Recognition days and months
Dustin enjoys celebrating
Hearsdustin’s speaker reel
Video Description (for those with vision loss):
Dustin speaking into the camera wearing a light blue button down shirt, a navy blue vest, a lapel mic, a watch and of course, his two hearing aids.
As he explains what HearsDustin is, a series of videos and photos from previous speaking engagements appear. There is a video of Dustin at the Peloton showroom in Boston, a photo of Dustin being interviewed by WBZ Boston News, a video of Dustin on stage emceeing the Walk4Hearing, a zoom presentation with Princeton University, and more.
The final slide shows the HearsDustin logo (the "D" has a hearing aid on the curve of the letter as if it is an ear), the website (www.HearsDustin.com) and the email address (Dustin@HearsDustin.com).
HOW DUSTIN’S HEARING “LOSS”
BECAME HIS BIGGEST “Gain” in life
Click image of Dustin’s current audiogram to learn more about audiograms
Do you remember school hearing exams when the students would line up and one at a time, the school nurse would say, “Press the button when you hear the beeps and repeat the words after me.” When Dustin was four years old, he passed this test no problem. The following year, he failed.
The difference: The nurse put a divider between herself and the student.. taking away Dustin’s natural ability to lip read. Not only did he surprise the nurse, but he surprised his entire family.
Dustin experienced a gradual decrease in his hearing, but he did not let his new “disability”, which they think came from the virus, chicken pox, discourage him. He learned to adapt quickly, tackle challenges with a positive attitude and find the path to success by advocating for himself and for others.
Fast forward and Dustin went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics in 2012 and has excelled in a career path involving marketing, sales, accessibility and motivational speaking.