'Everyone deserves a voice'

A NEW TV SHOW IS HELPING ABBEY GET HER START IN AN EXCITING CAREER

- Kylie Walters

For as long as she is able to remember, Abbey has wanted to be a journalist. "I am very social and I wanted to meet new people, travel the world and interview celebrities," she tells WHO.

But with autism and a rare congenital joint disorder that leaves her confined to a wheelchair, it felt unlikely that her dreams would come true. Since leaving school three years ago, the 20-year-old has struggled to find a job and has experienced training that doesn't accommodate her needs.

This is all changing thanks to The Assembly. In the bold new ABC show, Abbey has joined a journalism class along with 14 others with autism who aspire to careers in the media. Guided by veteran journalist Leigh Sales, they receive training through Macquarie University to prepare them to interview a different Australian celebrity each week.