Latest news with #PMLD
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jonathan Bryan obituary
Jonathan Bryan, who has died aged 19, following a short illness, was a poet, author and campaigner for the education of profoundly disabled children. Born with cerebral palsy, which severely restricted control of his limbs and the facial muscles necessary for speech, Jonathan confounded the limited expectations that so often accompanied the label of profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). With the support of his family – his parents, Christopher Bryan, an Anglican vicar, and Chantal (nee Suffield Jones), and two younger sisters – as well as carers, communication partners and specialists, he learned to read, and then to write, using a spelling board and the movement of his eyes. By the age of nine he had, as he said, 'found his voice' and thereafter was able to join mainstream education, finishing in the sixth-form at Westonbirt school, not far from the family's home in Wiltshire. His first book, Eye Can Write, was published in 2018, when he was only 12, but revealed a mature capacity for empathy and love, and a lively and obviously mischievous personality. He recounted how at one point he spelled out 'm-y', at which point his helpers assumed the next character must be a space. However, leaving a pause for dramatic effect, he continued, 'r-i-a-d-s'. The book contains a number of his poems, including PMLD, a 23-line resigned expression of the low expectations many have of disabled people. But at the end is the invitation, 'Now read it again backwards'. When read in reverse, the lines become a fierce assertion of the human will to learn and to communicate, regardless of disability. This astonishing feat of composition was helped by Jonathan having a photographic memory. In 2018 he founded the charity Teach Us Too, to campaign for all children, of whatever level of physical ability, to be given a voice through learning to read and write. He continued to write poetry and publish works inspired by his strong Christian faith and hope, stoked by an experience, recounted in Eye Can Write, when, in a medically induced coma, he saw himself running through the fields of heaven in his promised renewed body. At the time of his death, he was in his first year of studying creative writing at Bath Spa University. He and I both attended Widcombe Baptist Church in the city. Jonathan received numerous awards, beginning with the Diana award, received from Princes William and Harry in 2017, involving an acceptance speech, delivered by his mother, to assembled dignitaries in the House of Lords. In 2022, he was named in the Disability Power 100. He is survived by his parents and his sisters, Susannah and Jemima.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Theatre director among those honoured by King
The founder of a Hull theatre for children with learning disabilities has been named in the King's Birthday Honours list. Daniel Swift, 28, who set up the Concrete Youth charity in 2019, was awarded a MBE for services to the arts and to people with disabilities. Mr Swift said he was "incredibly grateful and honoured". Other people in East Yorkshire and Hull who were honoured include Leon Myers, head teacher of Swinemoor Primary School in Beverley, Michael Mitchell, who runs the Developing Minds project, Hull College vice principal Ranjit Singh, Jacqueline Crawford and Anita Barnard. Mr Swift said: "I'm excited that this recognition marks a moment of visibility for sensory theatre created with and for audiences labelled with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD)." He added that the honour reflected "the collective efforts of so many incredible colleagues, collaborators and artists who are dedicated to making the arts more inclusive". He has run special school workshops and supported young people who wish to embark on a career in accessible theatre and produced the first ever West End production specifically designed for audiences labelled with PMLD. Also awarded a MBE is John Thirkettle, who is the manager of Mental Health Operations at Humberside Police. The service ensures that officers responding to emergency calls get the most appropriate care and support for people with mental health issues, the force said. Mr Mitchell will receive a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his work supporting young people entering the railway industry. The Developing Minds project aims to get youngsters from deprived areas into rail engineering and IT. Mr Myers, meanwhile, has been awarded a MBE for services to education. Ms Crawford, who was awarded a MBE for services to the community in Goole, and Ms Barnard, who received a MBE for her work in foster care in the East Riding, were also honoured. Elsewhere, Mr Singh was awarded an OBE for services to further education. He said it was an "incredible honour". "This recognition is a reflection of all the amazing staff at Hull College, who I have the privilege of working with every day," he said. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. King's Birthday Honours: How does the UK honours system work?
