VIRGINIE
DELALANDE

Passionate woman and committed to her professional and private life, Virginie is the living proof that "Anything is possible, even with a disability!". First deaf lawyer by birth in France, she was named among the 40 most inspiring women according to Forbes, as well as one of the most influential people on LinkedIn in 2020. More recently, she was selected to be one of the "Mariannes of the French Republic" (2021).

 

Born profoundly deaf, Virginie has never heard the sound of her own voice. From an early age, she was told she would never speak, and that she would never be able to attend school, finish high school, or graduate. Yet this very special voice is now touring the world and powerfully demonstrating that it is possible to build the life you desire, even with challenges that seem insurmountable.

​

For a long time, Virginie has questioned the place of difference in the workplace and in society. She then discovered to what extent differences, and in particular handicaps, are taboo subjects and vectors of a lot of suffering and self-restraint.

 

Fascinated by the extraordinary ability of people to rethink and reinvent a world that's not always the most open-minded and welcoming, she now runs a Facebook page with very inspiring videos featuring disabled people's amazing journey: “Virginie Delalande - Handicapower”. Feel free to have a look, you will be pleasantly surprised and maybe even see our world from a newer, deeper and much more inspiring perspective!

 

Virginie was revealed to the public in the documentary "L'éloquence des sourds" directed by Laëtitia Moreau for Arte and then during the eloquence program "Le Grand Oral" broadcast in 2019 on France 2. Today, she continues to make her unique voice heard through coaching and giving conferences.