My Journey to Finding My Voice and Inspiring Others

By Ellise Hollie-Hayward, Disabilities Correspondent

I was very honoured to be interviewed by Enable Magazine editor Melissa Holmes for the May/June 2025 issue. 

Enable Magazine is the UK’s leading disability and lifestyle magazine, sharing stories from people with disabilities and inspiring others.

During the Easter holidays, I had the amazing opportunity to speak with Melissa for her feature Finding My Voice. I shared my personal journey—how, in the past, I didn’t feel comfortable speaking out loud using my communication aid.

I felt different from my peers, and I used to rely on someone standing beside or behind me to read everything I wanted to say.

That changed when I moved up to secondary school. There, I found my voice and began to feel more confident using the voice on my eye gaze device.

I also spoke about how I became a motivational speaker, a journey that began at secondary school.

Since then, I’ve had many incredible opportunities, including filming a documentary for Channel 4, delivering a presentation at the Houses of Parliament, and being interviewed by CBS News about my role as the Disabilities Editor and as a Patron for the Jill Dando News Centre.

I explained how I communicate using my eye gaze technology, and how important it is to be patient while I type my responses.

I stressed the importance of speaking to me as a person, rather than speaking down to me.

I shared with Melissa one of the most common assumptions I face—that being non-verbal means I don’t understand. I constantly challenge that assumption and prove that I do understand; I simply need a bit more time to express myself.

Melissa asked me what my message to the world is.

I shared two powerful thoughts: “Life is beautiful” and “Ask, never assume.” 

I want people to step into my shoes, just for five minutes, to understand what it's like to live with pain and to be non-verbal. I’ve never known a life without struggle or pain—but I’m never sad.

I’m here, and I’m so grateful for my beautiful life.

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