This July marks the 32nd year since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed on July 26, 1990. Disability Pride Month is a time to honor the disabled activists who fought for accessibility and equity, like 8-year-old Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and other protesters at the “Capitol Crawl” in March, 1990. July is also the month to celebrate, honor, and support the disabled community by shopping at disabled-owned businesses.
Typical business structures are often not accessible to people with disabilities. More broadly, systems in the United States often take autonomy and deny opportunities to disabled people. In owning a small business disabled people can gain financial independence and create accessible spaces.
We want to celebrate disability as an identity and the diversity within disabled communities by sharing the stories of disabled business owners. #SpendLikeItMatters at disabled-owned businesses this month and every month, and help us build our database by suggesting your favorite disabled-owned business here. Also, be sure to explore all 15+ disabled-owned businesses on Intentionalist.
Arizona
Burst of Butterflies Create & Paint Studio
#DisabilityOwned #FamilyOwned #LGBTQOwned #WomanOwned
If you’ve never tried your hand at painting, pottery, or crafts — you can try your hand at these creative outlets at Burst of Butterflies Create & Paint Studio in Chandler! Owned and operated by Peggy Peters, sisters Cheryl Tisland and Theresa Buglio and Cheryl’s son Lucas Tisland, this studio is the loving result of a tragic accident. After an accident that left Theresa permanently disabled, the family needed to restructure their working lives to better suit her care and pursue their overall happiness. In 2015, Burst of Butterflies was born! Book a class for date night or reserve the space for a party, you’ll learn something new and create something awesome. They offer classes in pottery painting, canvas painting, glass fusing, mosaics, clay wheel throwing, sculpting, and glass fusing pendants!
Florida
Equally Fit
#DisabilityOwned
As an adult with autism Mark Fleming, the owner of Equally Fit, firmly believes that just because someone may have a disability doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a chance to be as fit as someone without a disability or that they deserve a trainer less than properly qualified. With this in mind, Fleming started Equally Fit out of the trunk of his car in 2016 before opening it’s first physical location in 2019. Equally Fit offers functional training incorporating strength and cardiovascular training as well as exercises to improve motor planning, social skills, and balance.
New York
540W Main Communiversity
#AsianOwned #BlackOwned #DisabilityOwned
540W Main Communiversity is a grassroots, community-driven university, gallery, and event space providing programming for antiracism, the arts, and wellness. Located in the historic Susan B. Anthony Preservation district of Rochester, NY, 540W Main Communiversity hosts single-session classes that are high impact and low cost. Founding Director Calvin Eaton is a social entrepreneur and has expertise in antiracism, diversity, inclusion, K-12 curriculum writing and teaching, and higher education.
Oregon
Working Hands Fermentation
#BlackOwned #DisabilityOwned #FamilyOwned #VeteranOwned #WomanOwned
Grabbing a drink is one thing, but sharing that experience with a great group of people is a feeling like no other, and that is what Working Hands Fermentation stands for. Founded in 2014 with the goal of crafting new and unique cider and also bringing people together, Working Hands Fermentation not only serves cider and beer, but the taproom also serves as a community space for its customers and often features live music. Owners John Metta, Chip Dickinson, Jon Terhaar, Kristyn Fix continue to make the space a home away from home for the residents of Hood River Heights.
Bonus: Working Hands Fermentation also offers weekly meal kits that can be paired with their ciders for happy hour specials!
Texas
The Fry Guy
#BlackOwned #DisabilityOwned
Ronnie Brown has an affinity for fries that has earned him the nickname The Fry Guy. Born with Down Syndrome, Ronnie was on a feeding tube for the first six years of his life. As soon as he started eating solid food, he fell in love with French fries. Fifteen years later, Ronnie created a catering menu full of garlic fries, Texas chili fries, and so many more fries packed with flavor and topped with delicious sauces.
Bonus: Ronnie also sells t-shirts for fry lovers and Down Syndrome supporters.
Washington
Snow Home Inspection
#DisabilityOwned
Blake Snow gained extensive knowledge and experience in the construction and remodeling industry. Then, after becoming disabled with Guillain Barre Syndrome in 2015, he knew it was time to transition to something new. Home inspection was a no-brainer! Snow Home Inspection offers state-of-the-art equipment to give you a legible, detailed report with lots of pictures. He specializes in residential inspections, consultation, walk through inspections, and thermal imaging.
Washington D.C.
Cannabliss
#BlackOwned #DisabilityOwned
In 2019 Norbert Pickett opened Cannabliss, the first dispensary owned solely by a Black man in Washington D.C. In the center of Deanwood, a historically Black neighborhood, Norbert’s dispensary offers affordable cannabis to medical card holders. Cannabliss’ friendly and knowledgeable budtenders are happy to help you find the perfect product and answer any questions.
Norbert worked in sports marketing before an injury left him permanently disabled and forced him to retire. As he was learning to walk again and manage his pain without opioid-based medicine, he found THC and CBD helped. Now, he wants to help others aim for a pain-free life with holistic healing.
Mozzeria
#DisabilityOwned
When Melody Stein was turned away from a culinary academy for being deaf, she responded by mastering the art of making Neapolitan pizza and opening her own restaurant, Mozzeria. With the help of her husband and co-founder, Russ Stein, the deaf duo created an operation with an entirely deaf staff. Since then, CEO Ryan Maliszewski has taken over operations at Mozzeria. At Mozzeria, customers place their orders by signing, pointing, or writing their order.