Service award for leader with a vision

GABRIEL Gervasoni has been recognised once again for his advocacy work throughout 2022 and beyond, receiving Vision Australia’s Youth Service Award.

The 22-year-old disability and youth advocate and said he was honoured and excited to be acknowledged.

Mr Gervasoni is on the selection panel for the Vision Australia Further Education Bursary, which aims to help young people living with low vision or blindness to access tertiary education and has made an iPhone voice-over tutorial available to all Vision Australia clients.

He received his award at Vision Australia’s Ballarat office and was congratulated by the organisation’s deputy chair Bill Jolley and general manager national programs Graeme Craig.

“People like Gabriel are important in challenging and breaking down the perceptions that unfortunately still exist about what people who are blind or have low vision are capable of,” said Vision Australia CEO Ron Hooten.

“He’s playing a significant role in improving conditions and opportunities for young people who live with a disability.”

Mr Gervasoni has successfully campaigned Federation University’s paths and stairways to be made safer for vision impaired people and is a foundation member of a Disability Pathway Committee at IBM Ballarat, where he’s employed.

His mum, Amanda Gervasoni, said he’s always striving to ensure people with disabilities can have the same access to education, employment, social and community spaces, and opportunities as anyone else.

“He dedicates himself to raising the profile of young people and those with a disability through his involvement in various committees and youth organisations,” she said.

“The many awards that he has received have allowed him to raise the profile of young people living with a vision impairment and their valuable contribution to society, as has his various radio, podcast, print media and online news interviews.

“The receipt of this much deserved award will raise this profile even higher.”