Chiara Pennetta
@chiarapennetta
Italy
Chiara Pennetta is a teacher with two cochlear implants and a goal: to promote accessibility and inclusion both from the student and the teacher’s point of view.
She graduated in Classics from University of Pavia and then specialized in teaching Italian as a foreign language at Università per Stranieri di Siena, focusing mainly on adult literacy learners.
While exploring her deaf identity, she studied Italian Sign Language and delved into the realm of accessibility and inclusion.
She currently works in the Special Needs Education field and, as a teacher and conference relator, she focuses on promoting accessible communication, inclusive foreign language teaching, and advocating for the deaf.
Get to know Chiara 🎙️
Can you start by painting a picture of what a typical day looks like for you? What fuels your passion for the work you do, and how does it tie into your involvement with WCEU?
I’m a SEN teacher so my mornings usually start with an espresso and a 20 minutes ride to school. My job is about setting up an accessible and inclusive learning environment. After lunch, I create teaching materials, I study and I try to take care of myself by doing some of my favorite free time activities: reading, maintaining healthy offline relationships and walking my dog, Nilde. I think sharing ideas and experiences are the best way to increase knowledge, both of one’s own inner self, and the outside world, making it a better place to live together.
What sparked your interest in becoming a speaker at WCEU? Was there a particular moment or experience that motivated you to share your insights with this community?
I have been involved with WordPress in some way at least since 2009, and professionally since 2013, in that time I’ve found it difficult to find a way to give back to the community, I’m not a great writer for example. 2024 marks the first year that WCEU has come around and I’ve actively been a team lead, speaking at WCEU felt like a natural extension of that role and I’m honored to have had my talk chosen. Since the WP_HTML_Tag_Processor launched I have been encouraging my team to use it, and now I want to share that with the community also.
For those awaiting your talk, could you give us a preview of what we can expect to learn from your talk? Any sneak peeks?
“What kind of accessibility do deaf people need?”: most people, I think, would answer this question by bringing up sign language interpreting or subtitles. Together with Elena Panciera, we’re going to point out how those aren’t always enough. Deafness is a wide and diverse spectrum, so linguistic and communication accessibility should be equally wide.
Is it your first time at a WCEU or WordPress event? Any standout memories or lessons learned that you’d like to share?
It’s my first time! I am really excited!
Looking beyond the scheduled sessions, what do you hope attendees will take away from their overall experience at WCEU? How can they leverage the event to enhance their professional development or personal growth?
I believe that the strength of an event like WCEU lies in the speakers’ presentations, of course, but above all in the people who attend: their experiences, skills and diversity. I believe that there will be enormous opportunities for professional networking, but I also think that the informal, friendly, and collaborative atmosphere can lead to acquaintances and relationships that transcend mere professional collaboration. This was certainly the case for Elena with Simona and Margherita, for example. In fact, after involving Elena in the community, they have now become professional references for her, but also friends and mentors.
