YOUTH HELPING YOUTH

The David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility, established in 2014, recognizes the outstanding work of those who have demonstrated leadership and gone above and beyond to champion accessibility and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

The award was named after the renowned broadcaster and former lieutenant governor of Ontario who passed away last month.

Rohan Jain of Toronto was recognized in the Youth Leadership category for his impressive work developing the potential of youth with autism.

His passion comes from the love he has for his family – his brother is a person with autism.

At school, Rohan organized a bake sale for autism awareness with the proceeds going to create comic books of visual recipes for children with autism.

He also did a presentation for the school that explained autism and was aimed to show the mistake of discounting anyone with a disability.

Recognizing the deficiencies in educational support and materials for youth with developmental disabilities, Rohan co-founded Able2learn Inc.

It is a social enterprise that aims to transform and empower people with autism by promoting healthy lifestyles and independent living.

Able2learn Inc. also advocates for equitable education. It has become the world’s largest educational platform for children with developmental disabilities with an estimated outreach of over 500,000 students. This online resource is helping people all over the world lead a more independent lifestyle.

Rohan is encouraging others to create positive change for people with disabilities, and his efforts are making our world more equitable for all.

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