Gavin Clifton is a UK children’s author, disability advocate and public speaker who writes and speaks under the name The Disabled Writer. Born with cerebral palsy, Gavin draws on his own experiences of disability, communication and independence to challenge perceptions and encourage greater understanding of disability and inclusion.
The Disabled Writer is the name Gavin uses for his writing, advocacy and public speaking. Rather than avoiding conversations about disability, Gavin uses his platform to talk openly about his experiences, challenge assumptions and show that disability does not prevent creativity, ambition or achievement.
Gavin Clifton is the author of a growing collection of books, including Max and the Magic Wish, Paddy the Polar Bear Teddy, Anya and the Enchanted Wheelchair, Anya and the Crown of Silence and Cerebral Palsy & Me: Second Edition.
His writing includes children’s fiction as well as work informed by his own experiences of living with cerebral palsy.
Gavin’s children’s books combine imaginative storytelling with characters, experiences and themes that encourage children to think about friendship, difference, inclusion and disability.
Representation is an important part of Gavin’s work. His stories aim to entertain young readers while helping create a world in which disabled characters can be part of children's literature without disability defining the entire story.
Gavin Clifton's books are available to buy here
Yes. Gavin was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects movement and coordination. His lived experience of cerebral palsy has influenced his writing, advocacy and public speaking, and gives him a personal perspective on accessibility, communication, independence and attitudes towards disability.
Gavin uses Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). His experience of AAC gives him a first-hand understanding of communication barriers and the importance of giving people the time, technology and opportunity they need to communicate for themselves.
Communication and the assumptions people make about those who communicate differently are recurring themes in Gavin’s advocacy and public speaking.
Yes. Gavin Clifton speaks at schools, businesses, organisations, conferences and events about disability, inclusion, communication, accessibility and his own lived experiences.
His talks combine personal experience with a clear message about challenging assumptions and recognising the individual rather than simply seeing a disability.
Yes. As both a children’s author and disability advocate, Gavin can speak to pupils about writing, books, disability, communication, inclusion and his experiences as an author.
School visits can provide an opportunity for children to meet a disabled author, ask questions and explore disability and inclusion through open, age-appropriate conversation.
Yes. Gavin works with organisations looking to develop conversations around disability awareness, accessibility, inclusion and communication.
Drawing on lived experience rather than theory alone, Gavin can offer audiences a perspective on how everyday decisions, assumptions and attitudes can affect disabled people.
Much of Gavin’s advocacy focuses on disability inclusion, independence, accessibility, communication and challenging assumptions about what disabled people can and cannot do.
Through The Disabled Writer, he also shares his own experiences and observations to encourage wider conversations about how disabled people are treated and represented.
Gavin regularly writes about disability, accessibility, communication, writing and his own experiences on The Disabled Writer website. His articles combine personal experience with commentary on issues affecting disabled people and wider society.
Gavin can be contacted through The Disabled Writer website for enquiries relating to his books, public speaking, school visits, interviews, media opportunities and other collaborations. You can find all information on the contacts page.
