After facing countless rejections, Leigh, who is vision impaired, struggled to regain her confidence and find employment.
Leigh said of her journey, “I was struggling. I was lacking in confidence and I just wanted to get back out and work. After I went to so many interviews I thought noone’s going to employ me, noone’s going to accept me.”
Her employment consultant at BUSY Ability, Paul, never gave up, even when Leigh thought he may.
“I remember one day Leigh came into the office and asked me if I was going to give up on her. I said absolutely not! Shortly after that, the opportunity with Beacon Laundry came along!”
Described on their website as ‘we’re less about profit, and more about people, purpose and the planet’, Beacon Laundry provides a premium laundry service through their two locations in Bangalow NSW and Adelaide SA, while hiring disadvantaged job seekers that include First Nation’s people, refugees, ex-offenders and people living with disability. A jobs-focused social enterprise, profits are re-invested back into the business to help fund the supports their employees need to thrive.
Through the support of BUSY Ability, Leigh has been employed at Beacon Laundry since January this year and has really found her place in the friendly working environment. Now known as the ‘Pillow Press Queen’ and an all-around laundry legend, Leigh’s enthusiasm and confidence has soared.
As Leigh says, “It’s a job that I really enjoy. Coming here I’m not lonely, I can get myself into work and forget about my problems. We’re a team here and I have made friends that I’ll have for life.”
BUSY Ability is an Inclusive Employment Australia provider, supporting people with disability into meaingful employment. For nearly 40 years, we’ve assisted people living with disability, illness or injury to achieve their employment goals. Our connections to local employers and our experienced, individualised approach have proven a winning formula for our customers.
From 1 November 2025, the Australian Government introduced Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA), replacing the previous Disability Employment Services program. The new IEA program offers additional opportunities so that more people living with disability, illness or injury can achieve their employment goals.
Leigh is just one of seven people that BUSY Ability has supported into work with Beacon at their Bangalow facility.
Her employer at Beacon, Harriet Pederson, says “Leigh was always a really enthusiastic employee when joining the team but seeing her confidence skyrocket has been really special.”
Harriet believes that partnering with organisations like BUSY Ability is a strategic win when it comes to sourcing staff at Beacon.
“It’s vital for Beacon to find people in the community who have otherwise been overlooked. Without places like BUSY Ability, we wouldn’t be able to meet people like Leigh and create opportunities to work together. We’re really grateful to form such a strong community partnership with BUSY Ability.”
If you live with disability, illness or injury and are looking for support into work or you are an employer looking for staff, contact BUSY Ability on 1800 761 561 or email info@busyability.org.au
Find out more about Inclusive Employment Australia.
Watch more of Leigh’s story with Beacon Laundry.
