Stella Young
Stella Young
Stella Jane Youngwas an Australian comedian, journalist and disability rights activist...
NationalityAustralian
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth24 February 1982
CountryAustralia
disabled expect people
We think we know what it's all about; we think that disability is a really simple thing, and we don't expect to see disabled people in our daily lives.
abuse capture certainly complexity disabled faced fails nuance simulation understanding
Disability simulation fails to capture the nuance and complexity of living in a disabled body. And it certainly fails to give a deep understanding of systemic discrimination and abuse faced by disabled people.
considered cousin games gets main rarely
The Paralympics have for too long been considered the poor cousin of the Olympics. It's always run after the main games and rarely gets anything like the media coverage.
age grand tend
I tend not to think about living to some grand old age. Then again, I don't think about dying, either.
equality fall means trap treating
Too often, we fall into the trap of thinking 'equal' means 'the same' and that we achieve equality by treating everyone identically.
certain hours number people work
The problem for many people with disabilities is not that we are not able to work a certain number of hours a week. It's that no-one will let us.
disabled fiercely people status
For me, and for many other people with disabilities, our status as disabled people is one of which we are fiercely proud.
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.