Sunshine Coast teen Finley Coll honoured for disability advocacy

Despite living with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and using a powered wheelchair and communication device, 17-year-old Finley Coll is a leader on the Sunshine Coast.

Amanda Coll with her son Finley and the device he uses to communicate. Finley is quadriplegic, has severe cerebral palsy and is non-verbal. He uses as assisted device in order to be able to speak, but the NDIS is refusing to allow him to purchase a new device after his old one broke. Picture Matt Turner.

A Sunshine Coast teen with severe cerebral palsy has been honoured for his determination to create a more inclusive and accessible community for those with disability.

Despite living with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and using a powered wheelchair and communication device, 17-year-old Finley Coll is a leader.

As vice-captain at Meridan State College, Mr Coll has championed disability inclusion at schools.

In 2022, he led the first Realistic Race, an Amazing Race-esque competition where people were assigned simulated disabilities and tasks to complete.

Finley Coll is a member of the Sunshine Coast Young Leaders Academy, which is involved in shaping Council’s new Youth Action Plan.

For example, someone could be non-verbal and have to go to the canteen and order lunch, or be blind and have to score a basket on the basketball court.

The FUNctional Market Day is another of Mr Coll’s inclusive initiatives. It offers disabled members of the community to showcase and sell their creative projects.

He is hopeful able bodied Sunshine Coast locals will be more involved in the next FUNctional Market Day.

Mr Coll is also a member of the Sunshine Coast Young Leaders Academy and helped shape the Sunshine Coast Council’s All Abilities Action Plan, bringing youthful insight to the process as the project’s youngest contributor.

Additionally, he recently concluded a two-year traineeship at Spinal Life Australia.

Finley Coll won Young Citizen of the Year at Sunshine Coast Biosphere Community Awards 2025.

For his voice, vision and leadership, Mr Coll was named Young Citizen of the Year at the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Community Awards 2025.

He said he was thrilled to represent the disabled community and advocate for them.

“I feel proud and excited because I want people seeing disabled people are like them, but we look a little different,” he said.

Mr Coll has just 10 weeks left of school, after which he says he’s ready to embark on a new chapter with new work.