Jonathan Bredin

I’m a guy on wheels

making waves by encouraging others to think, dream, and create differently.

A bit more about me…

I was born and raised on Boonwurrung country (Frankston, Victoria) by my parents and with my younger sister.

While I had a complex disability my family made an effort to treat me as “normal” as possible (whatever normal means). As a child, I believed that the challenges I faced in finding connection was due to my disability. However, the older I get, I have realised that the challenges lie in society’s acceptance and inclusion of people with disability.

As a young adult, I had dreams as most people do: to have a successful career, to travel, and to live in my own home. When I entered adulthood, I began feeling cramped living with my family, and that I needed some privacy and a space that felt like my own.

In 2015, a close friend of my family passed away. It was a tragic loss and a huge eye-opener for me. Until I moved out, my mum had been my primary caregiver since birth, and our friend passing away made me realise how fragile life is. I wanted to put all our minds at ease, and show my mum that if something were to happen to my parents, I would be able to survive without them. I wanted to give my family the reassurance that I would have the structure and experience to continue living my life in that unthinkable event.

The year 2020 saw me make the big move to an apartment in the heart of Naarm (Melbourne’s CBD). This was a game changer for my independence and autonomy. Living solo in the thick of a city has opened up many opportunities for me to have experiences that I could never imagine having if I still lived at home.

In order to live the life I want, I require assistance from a team of support workers, who I select and manage myself. Managing a team of support workers is a full-time job in itself, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. In spite of the challenges, I can confidently say that moving out of home and pursuing an independent life for myself has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

When I’m not working, I spend my time playing chess tournaments, watching sports, and going to live gigs. When inaccessibility gets in the way of me enjoying my hobbies, I’m always looking for solutions, even if it means inventing ways – and apparatuses – to make it happen!

Due to the complexity and presentation of my disability, people typically jump to conclusions about me and my capabilities and usually they judge from afar, rather than actually getting to know me. If someone wants to know something about me, I simply prefer to be asked!

I like...

playing chess (when I’m winning)
watching any and every sport
screaming at my computer while playing Football Manager
sitting directly under the shower head
hearing awkward dating stories
anything 007
a well-made chicken parma
discovering new technologies
swinging from my ceiling hoist

I dislike...

cows (I think it’s a phobia at this point)
people speaking for me when I don’t ask
being denied opportunities due to my disability
burnt food (even in the slightest)
people talking loudly at me as if I don’t understand them
golf (is it even a sport?)
messiness
Sydney (not a wheelchair friendly place!)

I can...

explore outside on my own
hear and comprehend everything that is said to me (without yelling)
tip my wheelchair over (unintentionally)
use my computer on my own
do almost anything math related
present to a room of hundreds of people
write a blog about anything
do anything I set my mind to

I can't...

walk
talk
survive without support workers
snap my fingers
whistle
swim on my own
jump on my bed
look at anything cow-related
live without my tablet or wheelchair

Jonathan Bredin

Presenter, speaker, consultant, blogger, advocate.
Dreamer, thinker, teacher, chess player, sports fan.
Son, brother, friend, man.

bredin.jono@gmail.com

Based in Naarm, also known as Melbourne, Victoria, Australia