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Young passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, her family have said.
“With great sadness we acknowledge the passing of Stella Young, our much-loved and irreplaceable daughter and sister,” the family said in a statement.
Young was born with a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetic disorder that causes bones to break easily.
Young’s 2014 TED talk, in which she spoke about not wanting to be an inspiration simply for having a disability, went viral
Instead, Young called for people to not think that living with a disability makes you exceptional, or that it is a bad thing.
In the talk Young spoke of wanting to live in a world where disability is not considered the exception, but the norm.
In November of this year Young wrote a letter to her ’80 year-old self’ that was published in Between Us: Words and wisdom from Women of Letters, curated by Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire.
Young wrote to her future self:
“By the time I get to you, I’ll be so proud. The late Laura Hershey once wrote about disability pride, and how hard it is to achieve in a world that teaches us shame. She said, ‘You get proud by practising’. Thanks to my family, my friends, my crip comrades and my community, I’m already really proud. But I promise to keep practising, every day.”
Twitter has lit up with tributes to Young, including from former Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Stella Young was a shining light for care and action on disabilities. We mourn her passing and rededicate ourselves to her spirit. -JG
Vale the wonderful Stella Young @SBSNews: Disability advocate has died aged 32 http://t.co/7q9H5R52QM pic.twitter.com/m1XgDXZGx6
Shocked to hear of the death of Stella Young, funny, funny woman, great advocate for so many,novel her work with Ramp Up. Vale. @702sydney
Australian public life is diminished by the loss of Stella Young.
Sad to hear the news of the passing of Stella Young. I had the great privilege of speaking with her many times. Powerful, wonderful woman.
Life is short – love fiercely, live it to the fullest, and let the likes of the wondrous Stella Young be your inspiration.
RIP Smart Girl Stella Young. Thank you for sharing your life with us — We miss you already 💞 http://t.co/ZDTzlzLMD3 pic.twitter.com/szRiGP3q64
