Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month – celebrating creative entrepreneurs

Photo: Rachel Rasnick – https://www.rachelrasnick.com/

At the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC) they’re using the month of March – Developmental Disabilities Awareness month – to reflect on the past two Covid-plagued years. Covid brought many challenges to businesses and compounded pre-existing issues for self-employed people within the developmental disabilities community. However, a closer look within Rhode Island’s enterprising DD community reveals inspiration and a wealth of new opportunities.

In 2017, RIDDC launched the Self Employment project and created a comprehensive, free business development program. The RI Department of Labor and Training (DLT) and “Real Jobs RI” have laid the foundation for this innovative model by providing funding to RIDDC since 2018. Core components of the project include: a series of 8 business classes; 1:1 mentorship from staff and professional business advisers; marketing assistance – including website, social media, logos, and printed materials; benefits planning; mini-grants up to $2000; completed personalized business portfolio; weekly virtual entrepreneur’s forums; and support to participate in “Small Business Saturday SHOP RI” in November.

Beyond the local recognition both programs have garnered, individual business owners and graduates of the business series program, have received accolades locally and internationally. 

Here are three examples of businesses started by adult children with developmental disabilities and their parents based throughout the state including the West Bay, East Bay and Northern RI areas. In North Smithfield, Michael and Sheila Coyne, of Red, White and Brew coffee shop and The Budding Violet, a retail consignment shop for other small businesses, including other RIDDC program graduates, have been featured local and network television stories for their business, their social enterprise concept and their pay-it-forward support of Michael’s cohorts. As a person with autism, Michael nonetheless is the gregarious and industrious cashier, customer service rep, while mom, Sheila, is the hands-on, daily operations manager, with other family members pitching in. In just two years, they have private labelled their own coffee and sold their items as far away as Washington, and received items for the store to sell as far away as England.

Similarly, mom and daughter team, Claudia and Katie Lowe, In Warwick, specialize in hand-made greeting cards under the banner of Cheetah Greetings, born out of Katie’s passion for the craft as well as making people happy; they, too have appeared in local television features.

In Barrington, the family of Rachel Rasnick, supports her professional ventures displaying artwork and specialty items in multiple galleries, shops, and online. 

“The program focuses on providing resources to the community, an expanding community,” acknowledges Sue Babin, project director for the RIDDC’s Self Employment Project. “The opportunity to demonstrate the value that entrepreneurs with disabilities can contribute to RI’s economic community has been impressive and has established RI as a replicable model for self-employment nationally!”

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2022, RIDDC has begun to focus its energies into forming coalitions on behalf of its other projects, such as housing, and supportive decision-making. Planning is underway for a variety of meetings, events, and conferences between local organizations, those who benefit from their services, and their families and support networks.

ABOUT RIDDC
The Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC) believes that people with developmental disabilities should fully participate in community life. Men, women, and children should be able to enjoy family life. Children and adolescents should go to school. Adults should work. All should have decent homes, have friends, and live as independently as possible.