I am a 21yr old living with Ulrich Muscular Dystrophy and a list of other diagnosis. I have lived through an array of experiences within my youth, and have had to advocate for not only myself but my younger siblings along the way. These situations and life events have shaped me into the person I am today, and put me in positions where I have learnt that I have a passion to help others in the disabled community who perhaps don't have a voice, be heard. Especially in situations where I wasn't.
I didn't know how I was going to do this, but was brought into the 'Youth Empowering Peers' program by my local family advocacy organization, ACD, where we went through the 'Social Model of Leadership Development' who then steered me in the direction of CYDA and the opportunity to be part of the research project 'Growing Up and Making Decisions' with Inclusion Australia and UNSW. CYDA also assisted and supported me in giving evidence in the Disability Royal Commission in Hearing 24. 
Currently at ACD, I work with as an EmployMe Youth Connector on another research project with BIAT. While undertaking this position, I am currently on leave from the Board of the organization as the 'Voice of Youth'.
Bringing in people, especially youth, with lived experiences into these projects and into the conversations that effect them is extremely important and it makes me incredibly happy to be apart of it. Having someone on the team with lived experience is vital to being able to connect, understand, empathize and advocate for the community that you're representing. Who knows them better then themselves?

Outside of all of that, I'm obsessed with my dog, my partner, my siblings and videogaming (not necessarily in that order hahaha).