Stella Young
Stella Young
Stella Jane Youngwas an Australian comedian, journalist and disability rights activist...
NationalityAustralian
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth24 February 1982
CountryAustralia
age formal grew loves plumber remind somewhat
My mother loves to remind me that about the age of four, I made a somewhat formal announcement that I was going to be a plumber when I grew up.
certainly work
Let me make this clear: my impairment is such that without a wheelchair, I can't do very much for myself. I can't get out of bed. I can't get myself to the toilet. I certainly can't get myself to work.
celebrated sports
Paralympic sport and other disability sport can and should be celebrated in its own right.
became clear coverage disability explored faced giving interested issues maintained media morning pat people quo readers status warm
It became very clear to me that Yooralla was not as interested in media coverage that explored issues faced by people with disability as it was in giving a pat on the back to journalists who maintained the status quo by giving readers the warm and fuzzies over their morning paper.
accessible bar blocks buses days downtown four seeing single washington york
From my first days in Washington D.C., where I rolled a whole four downtown blocks without seeing a single shop, cafe, bar or restaurant I could not access, to the beautifully accessible buses in New York City, I was in heaven.
common happens pat people public rarely takes time
From time to time, people pat me on the head. It happens on public transport, in the supermarket, in bars. It's a common enough occurrence that it very rarely takes me completely by surprise.
punish reflect society system values
The purpose of our justice system is to reflect the values of our society and to punish those who violate our standards.
full good passionate people rights
Yooralla, like most disability service organisations, is full of good people who are passionate about the rights of people with disabilities.
people
Yooralla is a people pleaser with a very powerful PR machine.
ask asking attending believe best employer interview pay provide quite says
In Australia, a deaf person attending an interview must take their own interpreter at their own expense, or ask the employer to provide one. Believe me, nothing says 'I'm the best person for this job' quite like asking an employer to pay to interview you.
brings hinges money notion people pitiful pity quick send
Most disability charity hinges on that notion - that you need to send your money in quick before all these poor, pitiful people die. Peddling pity brings in the bucks, yo.
brave count lost number public strangers wanting work
I've lost count of the number of times that I've been approached by strangers wanting to tell me that they think I'm brave or inspirational, and this was long before my work had any kind of public profile.
appreciation best experience isolation mere prohibit social speaking suggestion whose
The mere suggestion that not speaking for a day can give you an appreciation of the social isolation that comes with the experience of disability, particularly those whose impairments prohibit them from communicating verbally, is insensitive at best.
along dependence easier fill guide hearing kinds lives modified services sorts
We fill our lives with all sorts of things that make it easier for us to get along in the world: wheelchairs, crutches, grabber sticks, hearing aids, canes, guide dogs, modified vehicles, ramps, as well as other kinds of services and supports. Disability does not necessarily mean dependence on other people.