12:00a.m. 3rd September 2008

Didgeridoonas owner Leigh Hemming, back, with disabled worker Damian Young. Photo:Chris McCormack/177931

Sports fans are well aware of the abilities of match-winning Brisbane Broncos superstars like Darren Lockyer, Justin Hodges and Karmichael Hunt.

But speaking at a Steps Disability breakfast in Buderim on Wednesday, Broncos coach Wayne Bennett said disabled employee Matt Middleton was recognised by all the players as the most valuable member of the “team”.

“Matt does things like pack the players’ gear and get jerseys signed,” Bennett said.

“The players love him – he’s a wonderful balance for them.

“They realise how fortunate they are.

“He’s been here 15 years and he’s the most valued member of the team.”

The six-time premiership coach said Matt was just one of four people with disabilities employed at the Broncos, adding he was confident any business that employed people with disabilities would reap significant benefits.

“People with disabilities will be more committed to your business than other workers. They’ll do more for you than you can ever do for them,” he said.

“Our players have become very protective of the workers with disabilities at the Broncos. They don’t look at their disabilities.

“It can be the same in business. My advice is, don’t be afraid of the unknown because there’s nothing to fear.”

At the same time, he acknowledged that not every disabled worker placed with employers by organisations such as Steps, worked out perfectly.

“We’ve got another worker with a disability in our catering area,” Bennett said. “Initially we tried to give him a job he couldn’t handle. Some can’t do eight hours a day ... it might be three or four hours.

“But the thing is, there’s a place for everyone.”

Bennett’s words were echoed by Leigh Hemming, owner of Caloundra-based gift manufacturing business Didgeridoonas. Mr Hemming said the company had four people with disabilities on its 25-strong workforce.

“The rewards we’ve had go right across all areas of our staff,” he said.

“We’ve certainly learnt it’s no more difficult to employ a person with a disability than someone without.”

Mr Hemming said Didgeridoonas had their own Matt Middleton for several years ... a disabled worker called Michael Cheney.

“Michael worked for us for five years before he moved out of the area recently. He might have been handicapped, but he was a beautiful person who became a dear friend to everyone in our organisation,” Mr Hemming said.

“He loved his job, did it for several years. Most people couldn’t do it for more than a week.

“He got a great sense of achievement out of increasing his work rate, and that’s something you can’t always get from people without disabilities.”

Mr Hemming said Steps had just introduced a trial scheme to allow prospective employers a practical way of determining the suitability of a worker with a disability.

“We’ve just trialled two prospective people for four hours – without pay – to see whether they could do the job. And we’ll be employing one of them,” he said.

Steps Disability was started on the Sunshine Coast in 1989, and now employs 108 staff across nine offices in Queensland and one in Alice Springs.

On the Sunshine Coast it has offices in Caloundra, Maroochydore and Nambour, while its head office is located in the Just Benches premises at Forest Glen.

CEO Garry Hooper said he was pleased to say Steps was receiving increased support from Sunshine Coast employers.

“We had 20 placements from our Maroochydore office alone in July, and more than that number in August,” he said.

“The number of placements on the Coast has increased by 10% in the last six months so we’re getting very good support.”

Mr Hooper said Steps had 1100 people on its books, with about half of those placed with employers. (They stay ‘on the books’ until they are settled in with their employer).

“The good thing is, about 800 of those people are ‘voluntary’. They’re on a disability pension and don’t have to work,” he said.

As both Wayne Bennett and Leigh Hemming said, that work ethic was one of the reasons why taking on a person with a disability was a good business decision.

“My suggestion is ‘give it serious consideration, I highly recommend it’,” Mr Hemming said.