Comedian, journalist and disability advocate Stella Young has died aged 32.

Young was born with a bone condition known as osteogenesis imperfecta, which she often described simply as "having really dodgy bones".

She defied expectations from the day she was born.

Advertisement

Doctors told her parents - her father a butcher and musician and her mother a hairdresser - that she would not live beyond her first birthday, at most.

But she was zooming around in a wheelchair before she was three and was already quite independent by the time she left home, aged 17, to study media and education at Deakin University.

Many Australians came to know Young through her writing, an appearance on ABC program Q&A and more recently, her TED Talk.

Born and raised in the western Victorian town of Stawell, home of the famous foot race, she cut her activist teeth at the age of 14 when she conducted a wheelchair access audit of her local main street.

"It didn't take long - it was a pretty short street," she often quipped.

Young's family told the ABC she died peacefully on Saturday. It is understood Young died of a suspected aneurysm.

"With great sadness we acknowledge the passing of Stella Young, our much-loved and irreplaceable daughter and sister," the family said in a statement.

"Stella passed away on Saturday evening, unexpectedly, but in no pain.

"A private funeral will take place soon, followed by a public event in Melbourne, with more details to come. Our loss is a deeply personal one. We request privacy during this difficult time."

As the editor of ABC's Ramp Up website, Ms Young challenged perceptions of disability.

ABC managing director Mark Scott said Young was an unforgettable and passionate communicator, who helped many people understand disability issues through her raw honesty.

"As a writer and broadcaster, Stella was sharp and incisive, challenging and provocative. She was very warm and generous, the first to laugh and to make us all laugh," Mr Scott said.

"She was so talented, so widely loved and respected.

"Her many friends at the ABC are filled with sadness at this news, as are Australians around the country, who loved and admired her columns, her broadcasts and her comedy performances."

Young more often turned to the medium of comedy to spread her message.

For three years she worked the comedy circuit, making light of her own experiences, to help shift misconceptions and stereotypes about disability.

She received the best newcomer award at this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival and hosted eight seasons of Australia's first disability culture program, No Limits, which aired on Channel 31 and community stations across the country.

Premier Daniel Andrews paid tribute to Young, saying Victoria was "poorer for her passing".

"There were no limits to Stella's life. Her creativity changed minds and changed laws. A trailblazer in Australian culture, she became one of our most recognisable and respected faces," he said.

"Stella dreamt of a society where people with a disability who studied, worked and achieved great things were conventional, even ordinary. As she leaves this world, that dream is ever closer."

Boris Struk, executive director of Muscular Dystrophy Australia, remembered Young as a "truly brilliant woman".

"Her strength rang not from a victim mentality but as someone who wanted equality for the disability community rather than special treatment," Mr Struk said.

Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Susan Ryan AO, and Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, also paid tribute to Young on Monday.

"I was a great admirer of her work. Stella challenged misconceptions about disability in everything she did, whether it be in her role as a writer, disability advocate or comedian," Ms Ryan said.

More recently, Young was heavily involved in the debate over Australia's need for a national disability insurance scheme.

She also worked with the Youth Disability Advocacy Service to establish the LiveAccess project, advocating for better access to live music venues in Melbourne.

Before joining the ABC, Young worked in Public Programs at Melbourne Museum, where she taught children about bugs and dinosaurs.