Your Stories - Meet some of our Lightwriter® users

Here is a selection of Lightwriter users, showing a wide range of ages and conditions. We would love to hear your story too! If you would like to have a mention on the website or perhaps in an advertisement please let us know by emailing your story and contact details to yourstories@toby-churchill.com.

Toby

I'm Toby and I shouldn't need any further introduction! I lost my speech in my early twenties as a result of encephalitis and designed the first Lightwriter^® for my own use over 30 years ago. I am in a wheelchair and have the use of my left arm. Over the last 25 years I have used almost every model of Lightwriter^® that we have produced.

This link shows a video from the BBC archives of a Tommorrow's World episode in the 70's, including some of my early inventions!

The early Lightwriters^® were big and heavy, reducing their portability; now with much better battery technology and low power electronics, we have reduced their size and weight, and so I find it much easier to have a Lightwriter^® with me whenever I need one. The addition of speech synthesisers some years ago made it much easier to communicate with people who are not familiar with communicating with those who cannot speak, and made it possible to communicate over the phone.

Visit my personal website here. I am now on Wikipedia here.

Janine

I was first introduced to the Lightwriter when I was around ten. Before that I tried bliss boards etc. Before I had tried the Lightwriter nothing seemed to fill the communicational void.

The Lightwriter not only broke down communicational barriers, it also broke down a lot of educational barriers for me. It gave me a love for both the spoken and written word in both the English language and the Scottish language.

Malcolm

Product advisor Vernon Jones has travelled thousands of miles for Toby Churchill. Although having flown to the Orkney Islands, he had never been to the far north of Scotland before. This was rectified recently with a visit to Lightwriter^® user Malcolm Moodie, who lives just a few miles from Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the British mainland. Malcolm has had a long association with Toby Churchill and has been using a Lightwriter^® for many years.

Kati

My name is Kati. I have a rare condition as a result of been born with my thyroid not working. It has resulted in me getting mini ‘thyroid storms’ every now and again throughout my life, sometimes the effects are temporary and other times it leaves permanent damage. As a result of this I went deaf at 16, although I could still speak clearly then and then later after another ‘attack’ in my early thirties I was left with Ataxia permanently.

Brian

Brian, who has motor neurone disease, was excited to get a new Lightwriter^® SL40 as he wanted to text his family and friends. Now he is doing this – and more.

Lena

Lena is a Lightwriter user from Sweden. This is a translation of her story:

Lightwriter^® SL40 has given me my human voice back!

Sian

My name is Sian Jackson. I have dysphonia, esophageal dysmotility and cerebral palsy. I was diagnosed with esophageal dysmotility, as well as dysphonia in 2009/2010, but have had it for at least twenty five years. It's hard having dysmotility because you can sound OK and then it can be triggered for no reason.

Morgan

Hello, my name is Morgan and I am 18 years old I live in Melbourne with my parents and two sisters.

Because I have ataxia it is difficult for me to walk and talk clearly but I like to do lots of things and talk to people. I always try to talk first but if people can’t understand me I use my Lightwriter^®.

Simon

My name is Simon Stevens, I am currently 36 and I have cerebral palsy. I live in Coventry and I am self employed as an experienced independent disability consultant and trainer. My work includes talking to social workers and social work students about my experience of employing personal assistants and how to work with ‘service users’.

Nathan

Hello, my name is Nathan and I am 17 years old.

I have Apert’s Syndrome which gives me some difficulties, one being my speech.

Beth

Beth has been using communication aids since she was 4 years old. Throughout childhood she has worked through a range of dynamic screen devices, initially symbol-based and later text-based.