Allyship and Intersectionality

Presenter: Azaria Francis

This session will be presented in English with BSL interpretation.

Uncomfortable Conversations – A guided discussion, covering intersectionality, allyship, being anti racist and more.

This session will continue the important dialogue about the importance of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in interpreting.   These kinds of topics can be difficult to discuss so this session will NOT be recorded so it can be a safe space for those attending, to share knowledge and ask those burning questions.

It will be a mixture of presentation and discussion so feel free to bring any dilemmas or issues you have.

I do not have all the answers but am happy to signpost where I can and make space for those who may have the knowledge in the session, so we can have a real community of practice and be uncomfortable and learn together.

Topics covered will include terminology, inclusive language, power and privilege, intersectionality, impact vs intent, being an effective ally and being anti racist.

Remember, these sessions are never ‘one and done!’  Current information and situations around the world are constantly changing which will have an impact on our work, how we interact with our colleagues and the people we work with.  We have a collective responsibility to keep our knowledge up to date.

Azaria has been a Registered Sign Language Interpreter (RSLI) for 9 years.  For the past 6 years she has worked in a VRS company as an interpreter, interpreting team leader and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Officer. She has led training sessions for interpreters in the UK and Europe, initially on ‘Race and Interpreting’, as well as other EDI related topics.  In 2022 she was also one of the presenters at EFSLI’s ‘#Awkward’ conference. Azaria is one of the Directors of the Interpreters of Colour Network (IOCN) and passionately believes in promoting their mission of ‘support, educate and celebrate’, to address the under-representation of people of colour and other marginalised groups within the interpreting and translation profession.