Meet the trustees
Ralph Nattress
Trustee / Chair & Treasurer
Ralph’s background is engineering & followed a technical business based career covering product design, production, logistics, sales & marketing dealing with computer & telecommunication based systems. He has been involved with improvements in communications for the deaf, from development some 25 years ago of the V.18 protocol to helping shape subsequent deaf product developments.
Jill Jones
Trustee
Jill has worked in the deaf community for 56 years, and has an MA in Management. She was a manager of a Sensory Impairment Team then co-founded the Deaf Ex-Mainstreamers Group (DEX) where she leads audit of deaf education. Jill was a Director of the Institute of BSL, and is an active campaigner in its BSL Act SIG. Jill was sole prop of a consultancy company before retirement. She supported a successful appeal in Fairey/Halliday case law. She is deaf due to Treacher Collins Syndrome.
Dr Sheila Sirco
Trustee
Dr Sheila Sirco was brought up in Deaf culture. She got two PhDs, and is a Fellow of Higher Education Academy, Specialist Mentor for Autistic learners and Teacher for the Deaf. She is also a published author. Having acquainted difficulties Deaf people encounter, led her to become an ardent campaigner for Deaf inclusion and equal treatment. Sheila had worked over as a Linguist and Consultant for various organisations including the UN. In 2008 she took over TERRA and expanded a company from a start-up to a reputable organisation within Deaf and disabled community.
Thomas Lichy
Trustee
Thomas works as Director of DeafLondon, & also trustee at Inclusion London; & DeafPLUS; & Parent-Governor at Heathlands School for Deaf Children. He has previously been a trustee for RAD; Governor at Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children; member of the Board of Oversight for a genetic engineering research program at Bristol University; and a participant in a UN relay services working group. He has a particular interest in legislation and technology.
Khalid Ashraf
Trustee
In 2018 Khalid achieved an MA in Islamic Studies. Currently CEO for Muslim Deaf UK & works part-time for Leeds Involving People (LIP). He previously worked for ITV as an onscreen presenter/interpreter & completed NVQ Level 4 in BSL. Experience in access consultancy & qualified for the National Register of Access Consultants (NRAC) as a Consultant in 2007. He is on the Board of Directors for DEX, including support of the Leeds City Council partnership meetings with LIP and the Leeds Disability Hub.
