Boy who communicates by blinking wins Brit Writer Award

Date: 21st July 2010
Category: Disabled children

Ten year old Adam Bojelian who contributed earlier this year to Together's "What Can the UNCRC Do for You" seminar in Glasgow, talking by blinking on video about Article 12 UNCRC as part of the workshop "Listening to Children with A Disability", won one of the first ever Brit Writers Awards.

Adam was given the Brit in recognition by his achievement in writing poetry despite having severe cerebral palsy and life threatening health problems. Adam who communicates by blinking entered three poems into the children's poetry class. Adam had written the poems by blinking out words and phrases. It can take Adam a whole day to write just one line and a month or more to complete a poem. Adam's three poems reached the semi-finals of the competition before the Brit organisers and judges learnt how Adam writes poetry and the challenges he faces in doing so.

Adam told the Brit audience "It is really hard telling people what you are thinking by blinking, but I love writing poems" and delighted the audience by reciting, using his computer generated voice, one of his poems.

Adam's poetry has certainly given him a voice, with news reports of his success having been published as far afield as the USA and India.

• Click here to read the newspaper article.