Jonathan Bryan

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Author, motivational speaker, and founder of Teach Us Too, Jonathan Bryan, joins BSU

Tuesday, 12 November, 2024

Until he was nine years old, Jonathan Bryan was unable to write. Living with severe cerebral palsy, a condition that makes him incapable of voluntary movement or speech, it was his mother who taught him that by using his eye movements like a pencil, his eyes could become his voice.   

He began using his eyes to spell out the words he couldn’t say aloud, writing out each letter on an alphabet board known as an E-Tran frame. Finally, Jonathan was able to express his innate talent, passion, and mischievous sense of humour to the rest of the world. He was, as he puts it, ‘like a bird freed from its cage.’ 

Discussing this transformation, Jonathan described how spelling with his eyes gave him a way to express himself: 

“When I was seven, I was taken out of special school to learn to read and write because at school I was only given a sensory curriculum. As a non-speaking person, being able to spell with my eyes totally transformed my life and I began to campaign for all children to be taught to read and write regardless of their educational label or disability.” 

At just 12 years old, Jonathan published his first book, Eye Can Write: A memoir of a child's silent soul emerging, with a foreword by eminent children’s author, Sir Michael Morpurgo.  

Eye Can Write is a profound bid not to judge someone by the labels they’re given and recounts the life of an exceptional young writer whose extraordinary ability defies physical disability.  

Described as a ‘voice for the voiceless’ Jonathan’s meticulous language reflects his passion for literacy and literature, inviting the reader to come with him on his journey toward communicating with the world. At 18, Jonathan has made an impressive mark on the literary world, selling over 16,000 copies and seeing his words translated into German and Azerbaijani. 

In the blurb on his memoir, Jonathan says: 

“Can you imagine not being able to speak or communicate? The silence, the loneliness, the pain. Inside you disappear to magical places, but most of the time you remain imprisoned within the isolation. Waiting, longing, hoping. Until someone realises your potential and discovers your key, so your unlocking can begin. Now you are free, flying like a wild bird in the open sky. A voice for the voiceless. This is me, and this is my story.”   

Jonathan is also the proud founder of Teach Us Too, a charity dedicated to educating trainee teachers, Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos), and schools on effective strategies for teaching literacy to students with complex needs. 

In 2018, Jonathan had his first taste of BSU, visiting the University with Teach Us Too to discuss the critical importance of teaching all children to read and write.  

Discussing his passion for Teach Us Too, Jonathan said: 

“I speak to many professionals involved in teaching children with complex needs, with the hope that I can change attitudes and assumptions made about their students. In particular, I advocate for all children to be taught literacy in the classroom.” 

Jonathan’s commitment to helping others find their voice has seen him recognised with a Diana Legacy Award – an accolade celebrating the achievements of Diana Award Recipients who have ‘changed the world’ as the late Princess Diana believed they could. 

His passionate campaigning has involved writing to government ministers and national newspapers and has been met with invitations from education officials who share his vision. 

Now, enrolled on Bath Spa University’s BA Creative Writing course, Jonathan is poised to continue inspiring his readers. He said: 

“The University has been really welcoming. I have always loved literature, and when I was learning to spell aged nine, it was being able to choose my own words for stories that motivated me most. Writing enabled me to express myself; it is my passion and joy.”