I’m a natural storyteller and I’m at my happiest in front of a mic or an audience.
(Ask me about my previous life as a world-ranked competitive debater? No, okay. Well I think it was cool.)
I’ve delivered standout keynotes, top-downloaded podcast interviews and engaging talks that make people say: “I could have listened to you all day.”
Here’s what I am most often asked to speak on:
Why words matter: inclusive language as a tool for transformation (though words alone won’t save us)
Stop hiding behind vague DEI claims: how to speak up for justice and equity,
From DEI jargon to radical action: why inclusive and accessible communication matters,
How to be an accessible communicator: how to write emails, presentations, speeches, text messages and more which are accessible for blind and visually impaired, deaf/Deaf, hard of hearing (and oh so many more) Disabled folks,
Introduction to neuroinclusive communication: how your words can work better for ADHD, autistic, dyslexic (and oh so many other neurodivergent) brains,
Disability is not a dirty word: why I’m proud to identify as Disabled,
How to talk about climate change without greenwashing,
How to talk about social justice without wokewashing,
How to talk about LGBTQIA+ rights without pinkwashing…
I think you get the picture. 😊
Ettie is a white person with shoulder-length light brown hair. She’s wearing a cosy beige turtleneck jumper, looking off to the left and smiling joyfully. Behind her, there’s a wall with colourful graphic painting on it in turquoise, blue, orange, yellow and red.
Signature talks
These are my signature talks.
I consistently get wonderful feedback, with attendees praising how engaging and helpful the sessions were.
These sessions are great for lunch-and-learns, and work great online or in-person.
Session titles:
Cutting through information overwhelm
The joy of inclusive language
Neuro-inclusive communication
Ettie is a white person with shoulder-length light brown hair. She’s wearing a pale pink outfit and standing behind a podium giving a talk. She is smiling joyfully to the audience. Behind her, there’s a curtain wall in a deep purple.
Length of talk: 1.5 hours
Description:
How to cut through information overwhelm and communicate in a way that's clear, simple and (nearly) impossible to misunderstand.
Ever feel like your brain has too many tabs open? Information overload is real! And it doesn’t affect everyone in the same way.
Disability, neurodivergence, stress, and anxiety can all shape how we take in, process, and remember information.
In this practical, reassuring session, we’ll explore what happens when our brains hit capacity, how overwhelm can show up, and what we can all do to make information easier to absorb, understand and use.
We’ll focus on simple, evidence-informed tools to make information easier to absorb: from reducing cognitive load and structuring content more clearly, to creating calmer communication environments and advocating for your access needs.
You’ll leave with practical strategies you can use for yourself, your team, and the people you support - helping everyone engage, understand, and communicate with more confidence.
Cutting through information overwhelm
Feedback from “Cutting through information overwhelm” talk
“Ettie was such an engaging speaker. We got a lot of information about information overwhelm in a way that was not at all overwhelming- she’s awesome! 100% recommend”
“Such a useful session! Absolutely amazing! The session format and content was catered to neurodiversity and was incredibly insightful throughout!”
“Session was a shortcut to finding all possible advice and resources, combining 10,000h in 1.5h focused talk”
The joy of inclusive language
Length of talk: 1 to 2 hours
Description:
Inclusive language is built on research that finds tiny tweaks in our words lead to big shifts in our actions, beliefs and behaviours.
So it's vital that we communicate thoughtfully.
And it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Many of us panic that there is a single correct way of being inclusive, and that if we get it "wrong" we'll cause harm. This can leave us feeling stuck, worrying so much about the impact of our words that we don't communicate what we really think.
Together, we'll demystify inclusive language and uncover a simple, practical approach to communicating for social justice. So you can connect with the joy of inclusive language.
We'll learn how to be actively inclusive around age, Disability, race, gender, sexual orientation (and more), using simple principles.
In this deeply practical introduction to inclusive language, we will cover:
what inclusive language is
why inclusive language matters
how to put inclusive language into practice in your daily life - practical tips and principles you can use everyday
Feedback from “The joy of inclusive language” talk
“Your talk was absolutely wonderful, informative and eye-opening and in the breakout spaces later everyone was just talking about how fabulous you are as a speaker and how they had learnt so many practical tips. Thank you so much again!”
“I cannot stress enough how invaluable this session is! Ettie’s session is informative, highly practical and engaging.”
“I love that we got to debunk some misconceptions and update our understanding of best practices as they constantly evolve. Now THIS is the session not to be missed!”
“We have an increased awareness and understanding of inclusive language, how to make our communication much inclusive, accessible, and an increased confidence. Our colleagues left the session inspired with ideas to share with the wider team.”
Neuro-inclusive communication
Length of talk: 1.5 hours
Description:
What is neurodivergence? How can we be neuroinclusive? Why does it matter?
By the end of this session you will:
Understand what neurodivergence is
Know how to be neuro-inclusive
Understand why being neuroinclusive matters
Feedback from “Neuro-inclusive communication” talk
“Incredibly helpful for understanding how to communicate more effectively, not with just neurodivergent people, but everyone.”
“Ettie was able to articulate a lot of my lived experiences as a neurodivergent individual in the workplace, which is something I often struggle with. A great talk to show your boss, if you are neurodivergent yourself.”
“It helps create a toolkit to use in all roles to make your communication more inclusive as well as likely make your work place more efficient and productive.”
“Invaluable if you care about how to communicate to a wide ranging neurodivergent audience and your message being understood and acted upon.”