meet the team

Chris accumulated 16 years of Retail, Management, Customer Service and Project Management experiences and qualifications upon joining Zebra Access in 2014 to oversee all project developments.

Deirdre has been working for Zebra Access since 2017 in various roles. Deirdre grew up in the Deaf community and passionately believe in a person-centric approach with advocating and empowering which mean enabling a platform for Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing people to share their voices. 

Trent was born into the Deaf community in Australia and moulded into the rich vast experience of the Deaf community, frequently moving between two countries. England and Australia, Trent has incredible passion and is very driven to demolish barriers that linger in the Deaf community. He have 7 years of experience in Advising/advocating for a better future in the Deaf community.

Dawn joined Zebra Access team in October 2019 as a qualified British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf Awareness Tutor and has over 20 years of BSL and Deaf Awareness teaching experience. She has teaching qualifications including BSL Level 6, City and Guilds 7307 in Teaching and a Level 3 NVQ Teaching Assistant.

Bob was previously our Head of Employment services and, with his team, delivered a high class level of employability support for Deaf customers across the Black Country and over achieving all contractual targets. Bob has returned to Zebra Access to utilise his contract and fundraising strategy skills in this part-time role which we are confident will be every bit as successful as his previous roles.

Jo has been working in social media exclusively since 2018, honing her skills during an Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs placement in Berlin and then as C.E.O. of Seeing Social. A hearing aid user since the age of 9, she has an understanding of what the deaf community needs to communicate.

Having been born into a Deaf family and raised within the Deaf Community in the West Midlands, Linda knows many different sign language dialects, and has a wealth of experience supporting a wide range of service users, including deafblind people and people from other countries. She has previously worked in residential settings and as an outreach worker..  

Linda previously worked for Zebra Access during 2021 and 2022 and joins Zebra Access again as Specialist Employment Officer. She is passionate about supporting deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people to get into work, and challenging communication barriers in the workplace and job centres. 

Robyn Swannack, who grew up in the Deaf community in South Africa and Australia, brings a diverse skill set encompassing research, project coordination, training, and community outreach. Holding a Master's degree in Anthropology, Robyn is passionately dedicated to making a positive impact using her expertise within the Deaf community and beyond. She is committed to empowering individuals who are Deaf, Deafblind, Hard of Hearing, or Deafened to share their stories and preserving their heritage.

Honor was raised in a family where herself, her father and 2 siblings were deaf and her mother and other 2 siblings are hearing. She has volunteered with Deaf children throughout the years and has been actively involved in the Deaf community for the last 8 years. Honor have recently achieved her degree in Deaf Studies with Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion Studies from University of Wolverhampton. Having lost the rest of her hearing when 14, Honor has experienced sudden hearing loss and the impact it has, and is passionate about supporting those experiencing sudden hearing loss, who are deafened or hard of hearing in the community.

Shifa was raised in a hearing family, wearing hearing aids from early age before her hearing got progressively worse to a point four years ago where she had cochlear implants operation. This has made her more sympathetic to those who experience an unexpected hearing loss and determined to help people who also suffer from this life changing experience. Growing up, she experienced the daily barriers that deaf people face and due to this, she is dedicated in finding ways to support the deaf/hard of hearing community to overcome these barriers. 

Shifa has accumulated many different experiences of working with deaf children/adults with additional disabilities whilst gaining qualifications where she has developed a deep understanding of the unique needs and challenges faced by deaf individuals. 

She believe that knowledge sharing and increasing deaf awareness are crucial to changing things and eradicating injustice.

Having been born deaf, Clare experienced many barriers growing up, especially being raised in a hearing family environment. Clare discovered the deaf community in her early teens where she finally felt at home with her peers who has lived through similar experiences and barriers as she did. Clare recognises that communication access to information, peer support groups and services is paramount to everyone's mental wellbeing. Upon being employed as a Wellbeing Officer, she will strive to continue Zebra Access' accessible wellbeing events, services, workshops and trips to make life better for Deaf people without barriers.