Keren Franks has firsthand experience of the power of inclusion for people living with disability and those around them. She has touched the lives of countless young Tasmanians by bringing to life her groundbreaking vision.
Through her daughter Bella’s experience in school, Keren saw that an inclusive model of education can yield enormous benefits, not only for students with disabilities but for mainstream students, too.
This was the catalyst for the creation of the community not-for-profit organisation, Young Leaders of Tasmania (YLOT) in 2017, of which Keren is CEO. After a successful pilot program, YLOT expanded rapidly to run a range of programs statewide, with the central aim of facilitating social role modelling, skill development activities and facilitating peer-to-peer interaction in support schools and mainstream schools.
YLOT’s programs help to change community perceptions around disability, foster inclusion and acceptance, increase workforce participation in the disability sector, and provide opportunities for young Tasmanians.