Best friends aim to be the next YouTube sensations

If this Moreton Bay duo isn’t in front of the camera working on their next video with their support worker, they’re likely to be found in the kitchen, on the basketball court or dancing up a storm.

Zac Gallaway and Kyle Richardson live with Down syndrome and met at school, bonding over their passion for sport while training with the Special Olympics basketball team.

They have accessed the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) since 2018, and it’s opened up a world of opportunities for them.

Chasing their dreams

Their latest passion is YouTube, which they’re using to encourage people living with a disability to chase their dreams.

Zac’s mum, Sally, says the foray into YouTube was originally part of her son’s NDIS plan.

“His support worker, Archie, is having a gap year from a film and media degree in Sydney, became a peer support worker and is teaching the boys how to do everything,” she says.

Archie films and directs the videos with Zac and Kyle, and using his experience with filming, guides them to do what’s appropriate and what will engage the audience.

Doing what they love

Kyle’s mum, Dolores, says the pair are doing what they love.

“Zac’s been teaching Kyle too, because he wants to be famous for his cooking, so they’ve paired up together,” she says.

“They will be doing dancing with Zac and cooking with Kyle on YouTube because that’s what they love to do.”

“My channel is called ‘Cooking with Kyle’. I want to teach people how to cook,” Kyle says.

The pair are also working on individual projects using their NDIS funding.

Other projects

Zac is working on other acting and film projects including a Joker video, and Kyle is learning to improve his cooking skills and creating a cookbook designed for people with disability.

Kyle and Zac are supported by Carers Queensland, the NDIS Local Area Co-ordination Partner in the Community Program for the Moreton Bay region.

To find out more about the NDIS and Local Area Co-ordination program, contact Carers Queensland on 1300 999 636.

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