Post by Banjo on Dec 8, 2014 14:47:46 GMT 7
While the recent death of a young cricketer created a national outpouring of public grief the loss of Ms Young will in all likelihood be forgotten by the media fairly quickly.
She was a true representative of disabled people in Australia.
Vale, Stella Young.
Disability Support, Age Pension and Carers Alliance Forum (incl. DSPoverseas)salutes you.
Tributes flow for feisty Stella Young
Stella Young was a diminutive comedian whose "searing honesty" made her a giant of disability advocacy.
Politicians, disability support groups and others paused on Monday to remember the feisty 32-year-old who labelled herself a "proud crip" and who used humour to challenge Australians to think differently.
Young passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, and a private funeral is being planned.
Her former employer, ABC Managing Director Mark Scott, said Young's advocacy liberated Australians to have a more frank and honest conversation about the issues people with disability faced, and the kind of support they needed.
"She spoke and wrote with a searing honesty and ... gave us insight into the lives of people with disabilities in a way that I don't think we'd really experienced before."
Young was the outspoken editor of the ABC's Ramp Up website, which recently ran out of funding.
"We set up that website with special government funding and that funding didn't continue ... but we kept an engagement with Stella because we knew what an important figure she had become," Mr Scott said.
She was due to record more ABC radio this week.
Political leaders joined in paying tribute to the comedian, who railed against the notion that disabled people were an inspiration.
"Stella dreamt of a society where people with a disability who studied, worked and achieved great things were conventional, even ordinary," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said.
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said she was a "much larger than life figure" and a "fierce advocate".
Former prime minister Julia Gillard worked with Young when setting up the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and said on Twitter people should "rededicate ourselves to her spirit".
Assistant Social Services Minister Mitch Fifield said Young used "charm and humour to highlight patronising and negative attitudes".
"Stella had a generosity of spirit and taught many members of parliament, including myself, a great deal," he said.
Former Liberal senator Alan Eggleston, who has achondroplasia, a common cause of dwarfism, tweeted: "Sad to hear of the passing of Stella Young who demonstrated by her life that the limitations of disabilities are often more apparent than real."
People with Disability Australia president Craig Wallace said Young had helped to recast the notion of disability.
"Stella described herself as a `proud crip` and this was a breath of fresh air for all of us who had spent decades watching disability treated as a tragedy, a medical issue or an act of fate rather than a valid personal identity," he said.
Paralympic gold medallist Kurt Fearnley also tweeted that Young had "fearlessly challenged every stereotype of disability" and her loss made the world less interesting.
Young was born in Stawell, in western Victoria in 1982, and was an activist on issues including disability, gender equality and education.
She was a member of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, the Ministerial Advisory Council for the Department of Victorian Communities, and Women With Disabilities Victoria.
Young won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival for her show Tales from the Crip and was set to tour Australia and take her act to London next year.
Her family has requested privacy and asked that people consider making donations in support of Domestic Violence Victoria, a cause Young was passionate about.
A public memorial is planned.
au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/25710835/stella-young-spoke-with-searing-honesty/
She was a true representative of disabled people in Australia.
Vale, Stella Young.
Disability Support, Age Pension and Carers Alliance Forum (incl. DSPoverseas)salutes you.
Tributes flow for feisty Stella Young
Stella Young was a diminutive comedian whose "searing honesty" made her a giant of disability advocacy.
Politicians, disability support groups and others paused on Monday to remember the feisty 32-year-old who labelled herself a "proud crip" and who used humour to challenge Australians to think differently.
Young passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, and a private funeral is being planned.
Her former employer, ABC Managing Director Mark Scott, said Young's advocacy liberated Australians to have a more frank and honest conversation about the issues people with disability faced, and the kind of support they needed.
"She spoke and wrote with a searing honesty and ... gave us insight into the lives of people with disabilities in a way that I don't think we'd really experienced before."
Young was the outspoken editor of the ABC's Ramp Up website, which recently ran out of funding.
"We set up that website with special government funding and that funding didn't continue ... but we kept an engagement with Stella because we knew what an important figure she had become," Mr Scott said.
She was due to record more ABC radio this week.
Political leaders joined in paying tribute to the comedian, who railed against the notion that disabled people were an inspiration.
"Stella dreamt of a society where people with a disability who studied, worked and achieved great things were conventional, even ordinary," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said.
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said she was a "much larger than life figure" and a "fierce advocate".
Former prime minister Julia Gillard worked with Young when setting up the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and said on Twitter people should "rededicate ourselves to her spirit".
Assistant Social Services Minister Mitch Fifield said Young used "charm and humour to highlight patronising and negative attitudes".
"Stella had a generosity of spirit and taught many members of parliament, including myself, a great deal," he said.
Former Liberal senator Alan Eggleston, who has achondroplasia, a common cause of dwarfism, tweeted: "Sad to hear of the passing of Stella Young who demonstrated by her life that the limitations of disabilities are often more apparent than real."
People with Disability Australia president Craig Wallace said Young had helped to recast the notion of disability.
"Stella described herself as a `proud crip` and this was a breath of fresh air for all of us who had spent decades watching disability treated as a tragedy, a medical issue or an act of fate rather than a valid personal identity," he said.
Paralympic gold medallist Kurt Fearnley also tweeted that Young had "fearlessly challenged every stereotype of disability" and her loss made the world less interesting.
Young was born in Stawell, in western Victoria in 1982, and was an activist on issues including disability, gender equality and education.
She was a member of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, the Ministerial Advisory Council for the Department of Victorian Communities, and Women With Disabilities Victoria.
Young won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival for her show Tales from the Crip and was set to tour Australia and take her act to London next year.
Her family has requested privacy and asked that people consider making donations in support of Domestic Violence Victoria, a cause Young was passionate about.
A public memorial is planned.
au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/25710835/stella-young-spoke-with-searing-honesty/