The Real Barrier to Inclusive Employment
Why fostering inclusive workplaces helps make the world work better.
Watch + share our TEDxHartford talk by BeanZ & Co. co-founders Kim Morrison and Noelle Alix.
80% of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are unemployed or underemployed. And it’s not because of Covid-19 or the economy. It’s because just about every employer out there thinks they can’t work.
But the truth is people with IDD can work and want to work. And in the right job, just like anyone else, they can be extraordinary employees. Hiring someone with IDD does require some support. But the benefits for the individual, for the business and for society far outweigh any obstacles.
We know because we done it.
Watch + share our TEDxHartford talk to learn why you—and others—should, too.
A restaurateur and caterer, Kim Morrison is passionate about making the world a better place to eat, work and live. Founder of The New England Pasta Company, Kim was inspired by her oldest daughter Meg who has Down syndrome to partner with long-time friend Noelle Alix to open BeanZ & Co., an inclusive coffee café employing individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In their TEDxHartford talk, Kim and Noelle spark our new collective consciousness to help create a world where everyone belongs.
Noelle Alix is an inclusive employment advocate and co-founder of BeanZ & Co., and by day is a finance attorney with the international law firm, Vinson & Elkins LLP. Appreciative of all those who made inclusive education a reality for her daughter Cate who has Down syndrome, Noelle was eager to do her part to break the next glass ceiling of inclusive employment for those with IDD. Noelle and Kim have witnessed the benefits of doing so, and in their TEDxHartford talk inspire other employers to follow their lead—one employer, one employee at a time.
BeanZ & Co. is an inclusive coffee café employing people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities and demonstrates the possibilities in all of us. It’s mission: to expand awareness of the 80% unemployment and underemployment rate of individuals with IDD and to promote inclusive workplaces everywhere.The coffee café serves breakfast, lunch, bakery items, coffee and more for take-out or to eat in, and also offers catering services. BeanZ & Co. is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. BeanZ & Co. is located at 300 West Main Street, Avon, Conn. For more information visit beanzandco.com and friend them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.