Gabriel Gervasoni said he was shocked to be nominated, but he felt it was validation of his work for the community.

Mr Gervasoni was named Ballarat's Young Citizen of the Year for 2021 and has been involved in committees and groups including the the Central Highlands Youth Advisory Board and the City of Ballarat Youth Council.

He has also participated in the Victorian Youth Parliament and been invited to work with the Commissioner for Children and Young People's Youth Council Group to establish a Youth Network.

Mr Gervasoni completed the Youth Disability Advocacy Service Emerging Young Leaders Program and has continued to strive for greater opportunities for people with a disability.

He made a presentation to the Victorian Parliament's TAFE Access Enquiry this year and has been interviewed for the Royal Commission into Disability.

"People need to understand people with disabilities can still do what everyone else can do. They are not limited by their disability, they just need different arrangements," he said.

Mr Gervasoni said an example of a barrier from his own experience was during his schooling years when he had to push hard to advocate for the installation of systems so he could see stairs with his impaired vision.

"I had to advocate really hard for the school to install proper systems so I could actually see the stairs, they had to put special markings in so I could see they were stairs not a ramp," he said.

Mr Gervasoni this was an example of how a more inclusive environment could be created in Ballarat.

"I would like to see companies acknowledge people with disabilities can approach things from a different angle. They are missing out on a lot of potential talent when they don't," he said.

Mr Gervasoni was born blind and has a diagnosis of inherited retinal dystrophy. He is currently legally blind and will become completely blind again in the future.

He has worked hard to overcome challenges and is passionate about assisting others with a disability to lead fulfilling lives with equal access to employment, education, community spaces and social activities.

RELATED COVERAGE: Gabriel Gervasoni named Ballarat Young Citizen of the Year

Mr Gervasoni is a futurist and sees life advancing opportunities for himself and others with blindness and low vision with the development of autonomous vehicles and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence.

He is currently studying a Diploma in Information Technology while working with IBM as a software tester.

Mr Gervasoni has shared his knowledge of IT with the vision impaired community, running workshops for Vision Australia's staff and visually impaired students on how to use technology to to receive learning content and participate in learning within a mainstream school environment.

He has also given presentations to community and school groups regarding the adaptive technology options available to help students and people in the general population living with blindness and low vision.

Mr Gervasoni has also completed an accessibility audit at Sovereign Hill and the Gold Museum and made recommendations about how the museums can be made safer and more accessible for people with low vision and blindness.

He was a key note speaker at IBM's Think2019 Conference in Sydney, with his talk streamed to thousands of people worldwide and provided industry professionals with invaluable insight into how young people with a disability can be supported to work in IT.

The 2022 Blind Australian of the Year award ceremony will be held in Brisbane on the evening of Friday, November 19.

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