Jonathan Toogood

Having spent my adult life between disability organisations and studying in various universities, my present work divides into the following three areas. I am writing an autobiography in the form of a Search for Voices. The first voice is the natural voice, which in my case is dysarthric, the search for the voice used by the majority of people to communicate in daily interactions. The second voice is that of a writer. Finding this voice involves literature studies research to identify C. H. Cooley's Looking Glass Self in the writing of George Elliot, Virginia Wolf, and Jeanette Winterson in order to locate the appreciation of physical surroundings and other sensory perceptions alongside social interaction when reflecting on the quality of my life living with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy. The third of these voices is academic and political, resulting in becoming involved with research on Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC),  leading to regular attendance at meetings of a support and collaboration network for clinical academics in the field. Contributing both user and Critical Disability Studies perspectives to the Clinical Academics Group led me to playing an instrumental role in the establishment of a Patient Involvement Group.  Hosted by Barnsley NHS Trust, Voice Up is aimed at supporting AAC users to acquire the skills and knowledge to follow their own research interests and to contribute as participants in research conducted by clinicians and academics within the AAC field, ensuring that the empowerment of AAC users lies at the heart of research on AAC.