Ava Jolliffe

Ava is a highly respected award winning artist and designer. At just 17 years old she is steadfastly changing perceptions of Deafblindness, with a clear sense of determination to advance understanding of this complex disability. This is evident in everything she does, from her previous collaborative successes, to her latest art show ‘ Paper View’ which is a collection of portraiture of able and disabled people from mixed backgrounds, showing that art is not just for the visually able in either creation or contemplation. To working with her business partners to demonstrate her ability to design & develop ideas with professionalism unimpeded by her disabilities and to work beneficially towards their goals. Ava continues to be arguably one of the most important and influential Deafblind people to come into the media arena, and she is only just beginning to understand her potential reach as she continues to try to bring understanding to the term Deafblind by her positive and collaborative approach to those around her. The next large scale next art project is already in the making, a collaborative project between disabled and able artists, and she is working on her media presence to show how her severe complexities are not limiting, only limited by others understanding. She is creating a new art project with The Deaf village, she is also proudly supporting her youth peer community by working with Anglia Ruskin university, and with a variety of smaller projects including Wonderarts & Access all areas. She has been vocal in sharing her story with CICS to inspire her Deaf peers, and working with other disabled artist’s collaboratively to help promote understanding of being a Deafblind complexly disabled person. Ava has been exceptionally busy this last 12 months , being nominated & awarded for her contributions and developing her own art projects. Ava is looking forward to locating a publisher for her 1st children’s book aimed at increasing inclusion and understanding of deafness in children’s literature. Ava’s Deafblindness is hugely impactful on her ability to communicate with others, without utilising BSL interpreter skilled communication she has considerably less ability than others to be physically vocal, however she refuses to allow this challenge to quell her advocacy journey or her desire to challenge ableism and the often negative concept of being Deafblind. Ava is passionate about ensuring equality for her disabled peers, she has an incredible sense of justice & compassion, and respectfully will challenge those who are not providing reasonable adjustments or solutions for those around her with additional requirements. Ava continues to seek out opportunities to expand her social reach, she tries to support the charities she has been involved with, often the sum of the things she does add up to a lot of work for her but they can often go under the radar of media and she is contented by knowing she has made a difference, and paid forward the support she has herself benefited from, this kindness and respectful behaviour is Ava to a T.