Annual Disability Lecture 2015: Laughter as a Catalyst for Change

Touretteshero co-founder Jess Thom, diagnosed with Tourette's in 2006 and whose verbal tics cause her to say 'biscuit' 16,000 times a day as well as other often surreal phrases, will be giving the 12th Annual Disability Lecture at St John's College, entitled 'Laughter as a Catalyst for Change'.

The writer, performing artist and fundraiser has motor tics that compel her to bang her chest hundreds of times a day. She will talk about the often misunderstood neurological condition which is estimated to affect more than 300,000 adults and children in the UK. Jess will examine the power of laughter and art as a means for change, as well as her experiences at University and the importance of the Access to Work and Disabled Students' Allowances schemes.

Jess, author of 'Welcome to Biscuit Land - A Year in the Life of Touretteshero', with a foreword by Stephen Fry, has written for the Guardian, the Observer and Disability Now about her experiences and has also spoken widely in the media on shows such as This Morning and Woman's Hour. She co-founded Touretteshero in 2010 in order to increase awareness of the challenges of the syndrome, to encourage people to think differently about the condition, to celebrate and share the humour and creativity of Tourette's, and to increase opportunities for those living with the condition to be heard. The project's mission is 'to change the world one tic at a time'.

Tics, uncontrollable movements and sounds, are a common feature of Tourette's, and Jess's motor tics mean that she has to wear padded gloves to protect her knuckles. She is one of the 10% of people who have Coprolalia, the term for obscene verbal tics, and her vocal tics also cause her to say 'biscuit' a lot — about 16 times a minute, or 16,000 times a day – as well as other creative, surreal and amusing phrases such as 'I'm thinking about becoming a lightbulb', 'I want to turn the fader up on life' and 'it's raining bears and mums'. The funny vocal tics became the inspiration for Touretteshero.

Jess's book 'Welcome to Biscuit Land' introduces the reader to the author's experiences of Tourette's over the course of a year, and her words are inspiring, shocking, funny, and courageous, despite the major challenges she faces.

The Annual Disability Lecture will take place on Thursday March 19 at 6–7pm in the Palmerston Room, St John's College. The event is open to all and will be accessible to wheelchair users, and a BSL interpreter will be present. Booking opens on Monday 9 February; to book a place visit http://csf2015jessthom.eventbrite.co.uk.