It’s been eight months since everything clicked in to place for Michael Laidlaw, who started a new job at Dovetail Enterprises and welcomed guide dog Violet into his family at the same time.
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Michael, 52, was born in Dundee and left school to join the army as a teenager. After leaving at the age of 40, he owned his own business.
Then, two years ago, he lost his sight. Michael is now visually impaired and in August of 2021 started the process of being matched with a guide dog. Things haven’t been the same since! Michael says: “With Violet, I walk not exactly like I used to, but close to it.”
Guide dog Violet is a “lucky charm”
Violet, soon to turn 3, has now been with Michael for about eight months. He recalls that everything seemed to come together at that time: “Since we got Violet, everything clicked and seemed to happen, good things. So Violet’s a lucky charm.”
They have a trusting relationship when Violet is on guard dog duty, but she has also become a beloved part of Michael’s family. He says: “Soon as you take that harness off, she’s just a dog – she’s a naughty dog!”
She has now also become a part of the Dovetail Enterprises family, joining Michael during working hours.
A day in the life of Michael and Violet at Dovetail
Michael juggles two different jobs at Dovetail Enterprises, which makes beds and furniture for retail and trade. For three days he works in bed manufacturing on the part of the process that, as he explains, is “designed with a method for visually impaired people. We have one person working here who is completely blind; he can do them in his sleep.”
It’s a process that Michael finds enjoyable: “It’s satisfying and it’s productive, because someone is away to use that mattress.”
When not making up to five mattresses a day, Michael also does office admin, like ordering stock. Then, for another two days of the week, he works in the sales and marketing team – all with guide dog Violet nearby.
Michael explains: “Violet doesn’t go on the shop floor, so when I’m there, I use my cane. You’ve got a station and all your tools are set out, so you walk around and don’t really come away from there.”
Instead, Violet stays in the office, which was fitted with a stable door. Michael adds: “That was day one, the joiners made it so you can open the door and she can say hi, but it’s more so they can all come play with her. A lot of people do come to see her.
“When I’m on the factory floor, now and again I can hear her bark, and she doesn’t bark unless she’s really excited – so that’s someone playing with her.
“She loves it – with the amount of people here, there’s always someone going past.”
How Dovetail supports a workforce with disabilities or other disadvantages
For 150 years Dovetail has proven a welcoming workplace for lots of people with disabilities or disadvantages, with the company forming in the mid-1990s as two independent charities, Lord Roberts and Blindcraft, merged.
It’s not surprising then, that Michael has settled in quickly. He explains: “It’s good because it’s productive, it’s a job I can do even though I’m visually impaired. It’s designed for that and they’ve done it for decades.
“The factory is designed for disabled people. It’s all yellow, which is a good colour for visually impaired people to see. And the department I’m in, bedding, that’s where visually impaired people would go because that’s how it’s set up.
“The other people who aren’t visually impaired, they’re looking out for you. It looks a really busy shop floor, but there are dedicated ways to get through it, and if anything is lying about, someone will grab it.”
The legacy of Dovetail Enterprises in Dundee
Accessible workplaces are vitally important for workers with disabilities or disadvantages. In Dundee, Dovetail provides employment to around 50 people, 30 of whom are either disabled or disadvantaged (with plans to grow the workforce in future).
For Michael, the job at Dovetail allows him independence – he’s worked since the age of 16, in the army and then running his own business, and he can continue working now at Dovetail. He’s appreciative to CEO Stephen Lynch for the opportunity, and he also recognises how key the registered charity and social enterprise is for the other employees. He says: “I wouldn’t like the thought of this place not being here.”
But as much as every order with Dovetail goes a long way in helping to keep the social enterprise going, customers also receive great quality, hand-made furniture.
Michael explains: “Everything is made from scratch. There’s no big robot that kicks a mattress out at the end. It’s all people.”
And the knowledge, skills and expertise that’s been developed over Dovetail Enterprise’s long history results in mattresses designed to last – with a reputation for quality that extends far beyond Dundee. Michael adds: “You get people phoning up asking to buy mattresses after they’ve been in a hotel and looked to see, because they’ve had a good night’s sleep, and our name’s been on the mattress. We’ve had people phone up from London.”
You can support the work of Dovetail and enjoy a great night’s sleep by purchasing a new mattress. Dovetail Enterprises is located at Dunsinane Industrial Estate and the showroom is open 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday, and between 10am and 4pm Saturdays. Pop in to see what’s on offer and learn more about Dovetail.
