Stella Young was born on February 24, 1982 in Stawell, Victoria, Australia. She was born with brittle bone disease (Osteogenesis imperfecta) and used a wheelchair. She was a journalist, comedian, and Disability Rights Activist. According to her obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald, she was: “No less than Australia’s leading disability activist […] Yet she was as much a champion of feminism, atheism, gay rights and all types of social justice.”

She became well-known for her TED Talk called: “I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much,” which is about how demeaning it can be to hold up disabled people as “inspirational” when they do something normal and everyday. Here’s the video:

Stella Young died in 2014, but her legacy lives on.