A 17-year-old Australian teen with autism started his own business cleaning garbage bins after he was rejected for other jobs.
鈥淚 searched and applied for jobs for two years and did not get one interview,鈥� Clay Lewis told 麻豆传媒 Channel from his home in Brisbane, Australia.
As of January, his business, Clay鈥檚 Bin Cleaning, has made more than AUS$6,000 and has roughly 70 clients.
He charges AUS$10 for the first bin and AUS$5 for each additional bin. He regularly offers free bin cleaning to local charities.
鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of him,鈥� his mother Laura Lewis told 麻豆传媒 Channel. 鈥淚 knew that he could do it.鈥�
She added that employers were unable to 鈥渟ee past their own judgments鈥� and made 鈥渦nfair assumptions鈥� about Clay鈥檚 competency because of his disability.
Clay said that he is looking forward to attending his high school prom and may put some of his earnings toward funding a trip to Abu Dhabi to watch his first Formula 1 race.
Lewis said that Clay鈥檚 story has given hope to a lot of people, particularly parents of children with autism.
鈥淎ll Clay is doing is living a 17-year-old鈥檚 ordinary life: working, going to school, having a girlfriend and hanging out with friends,鈥� she said.
