When Taye Williams stood up at the recent People with Disabilities Western Australia (PWdWA) State Conference, his presentation was deeply informed by lived experience of multiple marginalisations.
Williams lives with a disability and is also an Anangu/Nyungar man, and for a time he struggled to find work.
But in 2023 the 24-year-old founded Taask, helping others in his position to smash their own employment goals and find independence through meaningful work. It’s something close to Williams’ heart.
Working towards independence
In Year 10, he and his classmates were given the opportunity to be part of an employment pathway program to help with accessing TAFE and work opportunities. But Williams was told by the school that he wouldn’t be able to participate, because it would be too hard for him, as a disabled person, to get into the workforce.
His mum helped him find a placement at a local DVD store, and Williams said the store went above and beyond to make the workplace accessible and support him. As a 15-year-old movie buff, the role was perfect. But he turned down a full-time role there so he could move to Perth, where he had better access to the NDIS. His goal once there was to get into the workforce and enjoy the independence that work would bring. But his NDIS plan didn’t include support for job finding.
“I was really disappointed by that because that was my biggest goal for independence,” he recalled.
Other disappointments followed, with job providers offering roles that wouldn’t accommodate Williams’ disability.
“I fell into really dark depression, a really dark hole,” he said. “For the first time in my life as a disabled person, I felt pretty worthless. I was very lost at that time.”
Disability wasn’t the only barrier he faced. Being Indigenous meant he also faced racial prejudice too.
“I call it the double-edged sword in my life, because I’ve got a cultural barrier and obviously a physically disabled barrier,” he said.
But then, the ideas started forming. With both his parents in employment consulting, Williams was inspired to established his own micro-enterprise, Taask, selling clothing featuring Indigenous artwork.
Taask has since morphed into an Indigenous and disability employment provider, offering pathways to people who often have none. It’s changed as Williams has met other disabled people and realised what they really need, seeking to fill those job-seeking gaps.
‘A beacon of light’
Now, Taask is NDIS registered and provides employment support for people on the NDIS. They even help some who want to start their own businesses just as Williams did.
“It’s all about support… and what we can provide for the participants’ goals,” Williams said.
They’ve had a 98 per cent success rate through Customised Employment Pathways to get people into work. He’s been surprised at how quickly it has become “a beacon of light in the disability community”.
His recent presentation at the PWdWA State Conference, on ‘The Challenging Journey for a Person with Disability to Create His Own Meaningful Employment’ – his first presentation as a speaker – was a hit with providers, carers, parents and people with disability.
“When I started the business, my biggest goal was that I wanted to create an employment provider service that helps people with disabilities not just getting into the workforce but getting into the workforce for a job they actually want to do,” he said.
“But also, my biggest goal was to create a provider that has high morals and ethics, because with my experiences with service providers there were a lot of providers that were making a lot of quick money, and bludging off the most vulnerable people in our community.”
Taask, on the other hand, is filled with staff with lived experience. Thirty-five per cent of staff members are Indigenous and 15 per cent have lived experience of disability.
“I made a conscious effort in both the Indigenous space and the disability space to actually walk the talk. I said to myself, I had to do this because there’s such a need for lived experience… in the NDIS space,” he said.
As the company grows, he wants to keep the morals and ethics that set Taask apart from other employment providers. Going national is the dream, but Williams knows it’s a long process.
For now, he’s proud of the impact he’s made for two traditionally marginalised communities, and the way he’s been able to provide stability for his employees and their families.
“It isn’t easy running a business and starting a business isn’t what people think it is, because it’s all about trying to be sustainable. It’s shaped me to be a more empathetic person and looking after others more than myself.
“I’m very proud of what I’ve been able to achieve for others, not just for myself.”