A decade ago, commerce student Dean Cohen began a regular soccer meetup with a boy who had autism. Although Dean's exposure to people with autism was limited, the experience changed him. Dean soon he became committed to creating a more inclusive world for people of all abilities.
In 2014, under the banner Camp Sababa, Dean and a group of youth leaders began hosting fun-filled camp experiences for young people with disabilities in the Jewish community. Fast forward seven years and Dean now heads a fully-fledged organisation, Flying Fox, with 10 paid staff, 26 camps each year, and an ever-growing waiting list of participants. Dean and his army of dynamic volunteers are driven by a vision to create an inclusive world for people of all abilities.
In recognition of the huge contribution Flying Fox has made to the disability sector, Dean was award an Order of Australia Medal. It's an amazing achievement for someone who is yet to reach 30 years of age.