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How a mop and bucket changed lives Angela Brown did not let anything stop her from starting her own business and become, in her words, “a passionate employer of people with disability and disadvantage”. She spoke to Kymberly Martin. philosophy is that everyone who wants to work deserves the opportunity to do so. Of her current employees and one school-based trainee, 87 per cent have either a disability or one or more disadvantages. “I believe the best employees are those who are given the chance to thrive.” Two staff have physical disability, one has intellectual disability, one is totally deaf and two have chronic illness. She has four Indigenous and seven mature-aged employees, 15 employees with mental illness, five with offending behaviour and five with history of substance abuse. Two others have experienced domestic or family violence and 15 were long-term unemployed.
Angela Brown with her son Dylan
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ngela Brown launched her business with a mop and bucket. She was homeless from an unexpected marriage breakup with a 4-year-old son to support when a friend said she would give her $50 to clean her house, and others soon followed. She set up a website, completed a Certificate IV in Business and has not looked back.
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December/January 2022
Brown currently has 41 staff and services 720 domestic and commercial clients across Toowoomba and surrounding areas located on the Queensland Darling Downs. This growth, she said, has only been achieved and sustained through the employment of staff who can be relied on to provide the highest level of service to clients. Her business
School based trainee Max is one. He has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and when Help Employment and Training told her about Max, she knew he would be fine. There were some complex issues to start but Max is a vibrant, funny young person who wanted what other people want. And that is to fit in, have long-term employment and laugh with his work colleagues. “He gets all that and more in my office,” Brown said. “Rather than focus on what people cannot do, I prefer to focus on what they can do.” She recognises that disability or disadvantage can be a barrier in the workplace, but instead of ignoring these issues, discusses them openly and respectfully with her staff, working with them to ensure that the workplace is as supportive as it can be. “I give all my employees a sense of belonging
