Nathan says he is proud to be named a finalist, seeing it as “a wonderful opportunity for a wider audience to hear my plea for greater awareness around employment opportunities for people with disability in the workplace.”

Nathan has a goal to change the lives of 20 people this year by getting them into employment.

“As I travel nationally and internationally with my motivational speaking I hear all the time from people with disability that what would make a significant difference to their lives would be supported employment,” Nathan says.

“My work also involves speaking to the corporate sector to start conversations around employment opportunities in their work places.”

Nathan says he speaks from experience.

“When I was born 24 years ago, the delivering doctor said to my parents “I think your baby has Down syndrome. You have three choices; you can institutionalise him, adopt him out or take him home”. How is it that someone can categorise a life like that?”

Nathan is now a NSW Living Life My Way Ambassador and works at Sydney’s Nova 969 and Taste Creative.

He says this means “I get to live an ordinary life like other young Australian’s my age.”

You can learn more about Nathan and his employment drive at his website – www.nathanbasha.com

Every Australian Counts wishes him best of luck when the awards are announced.