Mrs Gleeson is one of four nominees in the running for the 2022 NSW Australian of the Year honour. Disability advocate and deputy CEO of First Peoples Disability Network June Riemer from Nambucca Heads is another nominee.

"I am up against some really high-calibre nominees and it is really humbling to be placed into the same category as them," Mrs Gleeson said.

The Port Macquarie resident said she was also thrilled and a little bit in shock.

Recipients across four categories - NSW Australian of the Year, NSW Young Australian of the Year, NSW Senior Australian of the Year and NSW Local Hero - will be announced in a ceremony on November 15.

They will then join the other state and territory recipients as finalists for the Australian of the Year Awards announcement on January 25. The awards are a forum for the recognition of outstanding achievement.

Mrs Gleeson hopes her NSW nomination will give people an insight into the innovations in the inclusion industry.

"It's great that society is progressively becoming more inclusive," she said.

"We have such a long way to go but things like this [nomination] assure me that, bit by bit, we are at least moving in the right direction in terms of spotlighting inclusion and giving it the attention it deserves."

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And the NSW nominees for Australian of the Year Awards are ...

Autism Swim operates in 20 countries with thousands of individuals benefiting from specialised water safety, learn-to-swim programs and water therapy.

It all started after Mrs Gleeson learnt about an alarming statistic. Children on the autism spectrum are 160 times more likely to drown than their peers.

Autism Swim expanded quickly and its services snowballed with a national and international footprint.

Mrs Gleeson's other roles include being a director of disability organisation WeFlex and offering disability consultancy services.

"I remember on my first day of working in the disability sector, I came home and said this is the industry I will work in for the rest of my career," she said.

Mrs Gleeson described the people she worked with as "the greatest humans".

"Every day I have the privilege to have an impact on someone's life; making it better in multiple ways," she said.

"To me, that's as satisfying as it gets. I feel beyond fortunate to do what I do."

One in five people have a disability.

Mrs Gleeson said emerging technology gave people more independence, financial freedom and social opportunities.

She would like to offer more services locally in the future such as working with parents. Funding is available for parents through the NDIS to access such services.

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