Peter Skuse – Wine Pricing and Sourcing Manager

“Epilepsy has never stopped me from working, neither has cancer.”

Anybody who has a passion for wine will know that the characteristics of a good one are the right colour, taste and smell. Sensory analysis skills are essential for people who taste wine for a living, such as 60 year old Peter Skuse of Huddersfield.

As a skilled Pricing and Sourcing Manager, Peter’s job is to source good wine from all over the world. But when diagnosed with laryngeal (voice box) cancer in 2001, he had to face up to the very real fear that he could lose not only his sense of taste, but also his sense of smell and his voice. Naturally, he was worried about losing his job. However, after rigorous but successful treatment which included radiotherapy and learning to speak again, Peter regained the use of all his senses.

Being positive and practical

Aside from being diagnosed with cancer, Peter has lived with epilepsy for over fifty years but has never allowed it to become a barrier to working. Early on in his former profession as an accountant, one employer suggested that since Peter couldn’t drive due to the risk of having an epileptic attack whilst at the wheel, his career would suffer. Peter’s response was quite practical. He believed then as he does now, that as long as there’s a transport system available, he’ll be able to meet the business travel requirements of any job.

“I was once advised by a friend that I should try to do everything that I wanted to do and not let epilepsy interfere” says Peter. He took the advice seriously and applies the same positive attitude to dealing with his cancer – it may have affected his speech but it has not changed his ability to communicate well. Basically, Peter has allowed neither epilepsy nor cancer to become a barrier to staying employed in a job that he absolutely loves.

Employer's story

Sales Director, Glenn Brown, admits that employing someone with a disability has been a learning curve. But Peter’s capability has convinced him and other managers at HB Clark & Co that it’s not a problem. “Peter reassured us because of his own ability to manage his epilepsy. As for his cancer, it affected his voice box but his ability to communicate is wonderful” says Glenn. “He fulfils a very important role for the company and has great determination”.

Peter doesn’t require any particular type of physical support at work but he does need support from the company in other ways. For example, trained first aiders know how to respond if he has an epileptic attack. Staff also make regular checks on him if he’s working alone in his office and as a matter of policy, he is never left by himself on company premises.

Valuing good staff

Glenn values Peter’s determination and believes it is a quality that is not always seen in people, yet is clearly an advantage to any employer. Employing a person with a disability has other benefits too says Glenn, “It helps promote a positive image of the company and demonstrates that we are a good caring company and that we care about our staff”.

Employee's story

Peter’s approach to his disabilities is to carry on working regardless. “My advice to other disabled people would be to ignore your disability as much as you can and do as much as possible to get around it” he says. However, he does appreciate that to work as effectively as possible he needs the support of his colleagues, which he values greatly. But over and above this, Peter appreciates the additional ‘support’ they give him, simply by not making a fuss about his disabilities.

Active in the community

Apart from working in his dream job, Peter is very active in his local community. He has served as a Director and Chairman of the local Training and Enterprise Council and for the last ten years, has been a Governor at a local sixth form college. In 2006, Peter received the good news he’d been waiting for – he was free of cancer. He now hopes to enjoy many more years of buying fine wines and doing what he can to support his local community.

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