Pictured: Joshua attending the Yarrabah Community Market with his support worker, Inette.
Meet Joshua Taylor, a young man with autism and a True Ability participant who has turned his creativity and determination into a thriving small business—and he’s only just getting started.
His business, Joshua’s Pet Accessories, specialises in handmade animal bandanas, and is a true family effort.
Joshua’s nan lends her sewing skills to bring each design to life, while Joshua takes charge of cutting out the patterns—a role he’s mastered with care and precision. Together, they create bandanas that pet owners love.
His nan has also been guiding him on how to do some of the sewing himself, and he’s most definitely making progress as his stitching slowly becomes straighter with every piece. On top of that, Joshua’s parents have been a huge support and motivation behind this amazing project, cheering him on every step of the way.
But Joshua’s business is about more than just the product. He’s built it from the ground up, registering his own ABN, launching a website, and creating an Instagram page to showcase his designs and connect with customers. Every week, Joshua heads out to deliver advertising pamphlets to local pet stores and dog-friendly parks, steadily growing awareness of his brand one paw print at a time.
Pictured: Joshua visiting local stores to advertise.
A Milestone Worth Celebrating
On the 13th of June 2026, Joshua reached an exciting milestone: his very first market stall at the Yarrabah Community Market. The day was a huge success! Joshua sold quite a few bandanas and also received a number of personalised orders. What an amazing achievement for his first market!
For Joshua, the best part of the day wasn’t just the sales. It was the people. He loved seeing familiar faces from his community and meeting new people who were just as enthusiastic about his bandanas as he is. The market gave Joshua a wonderful opportunity to connect, share his passion, and proudly show off everything he’s built.
Pictured: Joshua choosing patterns for his bandanas
Pictured: Auggie (left) and Zella (right) modelling the bandanas
Pictured: Joshua’s bandanas on display at the market
A Team Effort
From helping Joshua navigate the steps of starting a business to encouraging him every step of the way, those in Joshua’s life (like his nan and the True Ability team) have played a vital role in helping Joshua turn his idea into a real, functioning business.
This is what’s possible when you have the right supports in your corner.
At True Ability, we focus on what can be achieved and we work with your abilities. In our time supporting Joshua as a participant, we have gotten to know his strengths and passions, which has helped us help him to do the things that matter most to him.
At the end of the day, what Joshua has been able to accomplish would not have been possible with him leading the charge and deciding what he wanted his support to look like. We have simply been here to help build capacity where needed, and to offer support in translating his ideas and vision into tangible next steps to make it all happen!
Joshua’s story is a wonderful reminder of what’s possible when passion, support, and a bit of hard work come together. We can’t wait to see where this journey takes him next!
Want to check out Joshua’s bandanas?
Here’s how to place an order or follow along:
Website: https://joshuaspetaccessor.wixsite.com/joshua
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuaspetaccessories
Email: Joshuaspetaccessories@gmail.com
About True Ability
True Ability provides the support that helped make Joshua’s business possible. At True Ability, we work with your ability. If you or someone you know is looking for support, you can reach us at:
Website: https://trueability.com.au
Email: admin@trueability.com.au
Phone: 0421 408 723