VIRGINIE
DELALANDE
CEO, HANDICAPOWER | COACH, SPEAKER, AUTRESS AND LAWYER DEAF FROM BIRTH
LINKEDIN TOP VOICE, INSPIRING WOMAN FORBES (2020), MARIANNE OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC (2021)
“Giving up? Never! ”
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.
TOPICS:
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GIVING UP? NEVER!
What if your biggest challenges became your greatest victories? As France's first deaf lawyer, Virginie Delalande embodies perseverance and boldness. Through her inspiring journey, she shares how to transform obstacles into springboards toward excellence. She reveals three essential keys: persevering despite trials, cultivating unwavering self-confidence, and daring to ask for help. An invitation to step out of your comfort zone, break limiting beliefs, and believe in the impossible. A transformative experience to develop an iron mindset and never give up on your dreams.
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BIDDING ALL ON DIVERSITY
Diversity isn't just a moral issue - it's a real key to performance for companies. Virginie Delalande challenges preconceptions and demonstrates how fully integrating diversity - cognitive, physical, cultural, and social - transforms organizations into innovative leaders. Through her unique experience, she shares essential keys to making diversity an engine for innovation. An inspiring conference to rethink your practices, make an impact, and open the way to new markets.
LANGUAGES :
LOCATION : ANNECY, FR
VIDEOS:
PUBLICATIONS:
“The Forbes 40 Women, Forbes 2022.”
BOOKS:
“I’m speaking to you with a voice… A voice that may bother you… It’s a voice that even I don’t know, that I’ve never heard before. It’s the result of twenty years of work — twenty years of speech therapy, three times a week, real parrot training! A thousand times I wanted to quit, a thousand times I asked myself: what’s the point? Is it really worth seeing this through? And then, I became a lawyer, because I was told it was impossible, that this profession wasn’t for me.”
“Love Your Disability!: Your difference is your story. Turn it into your power!
You were taught that disability was a weakness — that it limited what was possible, that it condemned you to a life lived in the background. But what if it were the complete opposite? A hidden strength. A silent knowledge, ready to blossom the moment we stop silencing it.
Virginie Delalande was born into silence. They predicted failure for her. She chose life.”