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Before my stroke, I never really thought much about disability. If I’m honest, I saw it as something that belonged to other people. I thought there were “them” — people with disabilities — and then there was “us”, the normal people. That’s just how I understood the world back then. I was working as a plumber, a job I’d been doing for about ten years. I actually started in the school holidays working with my dad, who owned the company, and before I knew it I was working with him full-time. I enjoyed it, but it was just work — something you did to get the job
done.
About eight years ago, everything changed when I had a stroke.
I don’t remember much from the time afterward — in fact, I don’t have any memories for about two years after it happened. I’m told that the first word I said in hospital was “higher,” because I wanted to be lifted higher in my bed. My recovery has been long and it’s still ongoing. I spent 181 days in hospital, and even now fatigue is a big part of my life.
I can’t work the same hours that most people do, and I still need to pace myself carefully.
But slowly, over time, things started to improve.
A friend recommended that I check out Hamlet, an inclusive café that offers training and work opportunities for people with disability. At first I didn’t want to do it at all. My mum and my wife Lauren were really encouraging me to try it, but I wasn’t keen. Looking back now, it’s funny, because I wake up every morning excited to go there. I started in the kitchen program just one day a week, and over time I built that up to three days a week, working from 8:30 until midday. When I first had my stroke I couldn’t even cook a meal, but now I cook for my
wife and me all the time — Mexican food is probably my favourite.
Working at Hamlet has taught me a lot more than just cooking and making coffee. It’s helped me rebuild my confidence and my people skills.
One of the things I’m proudest of is learning how to use the coffee machine with one hand. I balance the milk jug on the machine and steam it that way. One of the team members, Rhi, helped me figure it out. She believed it was possible and helped me find a different way of doing things. That’s the thing about this place — people are willing to adapt and find solutions instead of assuming something can’t be done.
The community around Hamlet has been incredible too. I’ve been keeping a tally and at least 120 friends have come in to visit me there. Some I already knew, and some are friends I’ve made since working there. When I was a plumber, people didn’t come by to see how my day was going — they just wanted the job finished. But here it’s different. I see people
every day, we talk, we laugh, and I feel like I’m part of something.
Work has also given me a sense of purpose again. Before Hamlet, I felt lost. I had goals outside of work — like going to the gym, swimming, and trying to improve my fitness — but something was missing. Now my days feel full again. Even though I still get tired and usually need a sleep after work, I love the routine and the sense of achievement. It’s made my life feel normal again in a way that I didn’t think was possible after the stroke.
One thing I want employers to understand is that people with disability can do a lot more than they might expect.
Sometimes it just takes a different approach. The adjustments I’ve needed haven’t been expensive — often they’re simple things. For example, my dad made me a chopping board with a spike on it so I can hold food in place while I cut it with one hand. Small solutions like that make a big difference.
If I could give one message to employers, it would be this: give people with disability a chance. You don’t really know what someone is capable of until you give them that opportunity. With the right support and a bit of creativity, people can surprise you.
Looking ahead, I hope I’m still working at Hamlet in five years’ time. I love being there, making coffee and seeing the community every day. If I look back when I retire, I’d like to be able to say that I made a lot of coffees and spent years doing something that made me genuinely happy.
My life didn’t go the way I expected when I had that stroke, but in some ways it opened a whole new path. Through places like Hamlet, I’ve found purpose again, learned new skills, and become part of a community that believes in what people with disability can achieve.