Disability advocate, writer and comedian Stella Young has died aged 32.
Young died on Saturday evening, according to a statement released by her family.
"With great sadness we acknowledge the passing of Stella Young, our much loved and irreplaceable daughter and sister. Stella passed away on Saturday evening, unexpectedly, but in no pain," the statement said.
"Our loss is a deeply personal one."
"A private funeral will take place soon, followed by a public event in Melbourne, with more details to come."
Her family has requested privacy and asked that people consider making donations in support of Domestic Violence Victoria, a cause which Young was passionate about.
Stella Young was born in Stanwell, Victoria with Osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder that causes bones to fracture easily.
Young was an active member of the disability community - appearing on numerous councils including the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, Ministerial Advisory Council for the Department of Victorian communities and Women With Disabilities Victoria.
She was also a well-known comedian and writer. Young won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2014 Melbourne
International Comedy Festival for her show, tales From The Crip and was set to tour nationally and take her act to London next year.
As a disability advocate, she regularly pushed to change the way people with disabilities were seen. Despite objections by others, Young described herself proudly as a 'crip'.
"People get all up in arms when I describe myself as a crip because what they hear is the word 'cripple' and they hear a word you're not allowed to say anymore," she told the ABC in 2012.
"Crip is a words that I find empowering the same way that some members of the gay community, but not all members of the gay community, find the word 'queer' empowering."
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