Dr Dinesh Palipana, a doctor, lawyer, disability advocate and researcher, is the only quadriplegic to graduate medical school in Queensland and the second person from Australia to have quadriplegia graduate from medical school. Halfway through medical school, he was injured in a motor vehicle accident, resulting in a cervical spinal cord injury. As a result of his injury and experiences, Dinesh has been an advocate for inclusion.
In 2018, Dinesh was named Junior Doctor of the Year at the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, and in 2019, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. In 2021 Dinesh is the 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year.