Spearheaded by Amy and Ben Wright, Bitty & Beau's Coffee was founded with a mission to change society's perception of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). A human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop, the company is a leading example of how inclusion and equity can lead to lasting change. Read on to learn more.

Bitty & Beau’s Coffee
Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Bitty & Beau’s Coffee

Support for individuals with I/DD is not just a necessity - it's a given. But it goes so much further than that. Inclusion, acceptance, and equity of treatment are traits that should be the standard for the treatment of those with I/DDs. It may sound obvious to some, but a large majority of the population stigmatizes these individuals resulting in major barriers to their ability to participate within society. In fact, in 2020, disability claims were the most commonly reported type of discrimination with 24,324 claims filed.

1 in 4 (up to 27%) adults in the US have some type of disability, while an estimated 1.3 billion people (16%) globally experience significant disability. And those 1.3 billion people face unfair conditions including stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and more.

It's not a widely discussed topic, but that doesn't make it any less prevalent. People with disabilities are just as entitled to the same level of treatment and opportunities as those without, beliefs Amy and Ben Wright firmly stand behind. Parents of two children with Down syndrome, the pair know first-hand the discrimination individuals with I/DD experience. But rather than fighting a silent battle, they took matters into their own hands and decided to create a space that encourages, supports, and promotes inclusion and fair treatment.

Enter Bitty & Beau's Coffee, a coffee shop chain named after their two children based in the US with 23 locations in several states including Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and others. Co-founded by Amy - named 2017 CNN Hero of the Year - and Ben Wright, the company is the first of its kind in which they're dedicated to employing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Founded in 2016 with an inspiring mission to change public perceptions of people with I/DD and inspire every guest to consider hiring a person with an I/DD in their place of work, the company has since turned into an entire movement - under the guise of a coffee shop.

"We are the only for-profit company in the world doing what we're doing at this scale," shares BenAmy. As social entrepreneurs in this space, Ben and Amy are taking massive steps to connect the disabled community to mainstream society with their coffee shop chain.

"What's your company's excuse for not having one person with I/DD on staff for at least 2 hours a day, 1 day a week, doing something within your four walls of business?" voices BenAmy. Not enough businesses are doing their part, and in 2022, 37.8% of persons with a disability between the age of 16-64 were employed, while 74.4% of persons without a disability within the same age range were employed. The difference is obvious, and yet actionable change remains minimal.

"People with disabilities in general, their lives aren't as valued as typically developing people. And as parents raising three children with disabilities we've noticed that. We believe the reason people underestimate what people with disabilities can do is because of a lack of exposure, so people come up with their own conclusions as to what people with disabilities can and can't do, especially in the workplace," Amy discusses.

By bringing awareness to this undisclosed topic through implementation, Amy and Ben are the first to walk along this path. And by doing so, they're helping thousands of disabled individuals nationally. That includes one of my own family members, Jocelyn, a 17-year-old girl born with a congenital intellectual disability. A beacon of light to those around her, her contribution to society should not be viewed as an opportunity for charity but a value to businesses. Amy and Ben explain why:

"It's a really visceral experience when you work shoulder to shoulder with somebody with I/DD," Ben says, as it "begins to open up all kinds of teamwork that you had no idea was even there, and you had no idea you had those sorts of ideas because you were never required to think that way."

It also paves the way for strong business morale because employing someone with a disability shows a company recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion, "and employees are going to know those things matter to you as a business owner, that people with disabilities belong there, too," Amy continues.

"Having a disability is just part of being a human being. No one is Superman or Superwoman," clarifies Ben, but people "think they're less than and they're broken, and they're not worth time or effort... but having I/DD doesn't mean you're not intelligent, smart, inquisitive and you don't have something to offer. It just means you operate differently."

The stigma behind people with disabilities is so deeply ingrained in civilization we don't even recognize it. But the business world has the capacity to change this narrative, something Bitty & Beau's Coffee has already proven.

"Leave your doubt at the door," reads the slogan for Bitty & Beau's Coffee, encapsulating the message Amy and Ben are spreading with their company. "Leave all of your preconceived notions about who people with disabilities are and what they're capable of doing, and step into this environment and allow yourself to have a transformational experience where you start to see people with disabilities differently," says Amy.

It's not every day you meet people making real changes for the community, but I was lucky enough to meet two.

What Amy and Ben are achieving is more than inclusivity and fair treatment: their coffee shop is living proof that individuals with I/DD are not a separate part of the workplace. I/DD is part of the human condition for many people, whether one is born with a disability (congenital) or becomes disabled during the course of life (acquired). Disability should not define people to a non-human status of irrelevance but rather provide a chance for businesses to take part in removing barriers and replacing them with opportunities.

"There's a legitimate amount of social reconditioning that people go through when they come into a Bitty & Beau's Coffee that you might not go through in another coffee shop," Ben highlights. The more interactions people have with disabled individuals and continued exposure only lengthens the ripple effect of change. And with your support, you can be part of that ripple.

Amy and Ben's vision is simple:

"Every corporate leader is looking at every other corporation saying, 'What's their excuse for not having somebody on staff with I/DD?' That's where we want to get to," says Ben.

The inspirational duo is bringing awareness to the lack of inclusion for disabled people in the US every day with their coffee shop. And their reach will only continue to grow.

Every bit matters, so show your support today by following Bitty & Beau's Coffee on Instagram and sharing them on your story!

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