Empowering young adults with disabilities through micro-businesses — Darlene Borré
I am passionate about creating opportunities for young adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. I work at Futures Inc., a Connecticut-based non-profit dedicated to advocating for personalized opportunities and inclusion for individuals with disabilities. We proudly serve individuals aged 14 and up, offering an accredited school, adult services, a culinary arts program, and social enterprises across the state.
My journey with Futures Inc. began when my son, who has nonverbal, profound autism, was in high school. As I researched adult programs for him to transition into, I quickly realized that there was little on offer that would provide a meaningful day for him. I was determined to find a day program that offered structure and purpose for people like my son.
I began working with Futures Inc. and I built out the idea and offering of providing individuals with intellectual disabilities the support to develop micro-businesses based on their passions and interests. It was a long road, full of surprises, but together, we created a variety of unique businesses, including:
Soap in the shape of dogs
Iced coffee candles
Sign language hats
Vintage car key chains and travel mugs
Fairy house kits
Shredded paper firestarters
Homemade BBQ sauce and dry rubs
Recycle bins with logos
Slime kits
Sensory journals
Fabric wristlet key chains
Each entrepreneur keeps their own profits and receives business cards, a business plan, and a detailed process sheet outlining the steps to create their product. This helps maximize and improve their independent thinking skills.
We also partnered with local shops to raise awareness about these amazing community members and their businesses. We put on store pop-ups, went to local farmers markets and held celebratory ribbon-cutting events to celebrate their achievements and sell their goods.
As we worked on these businesses, we noticed some incredible changes. Instead of being known for their disabilities, our entrepreneurs became famous in their communities for their unique products. For example, my son, once known as “the guy who makes those weird sounds,” is now recognized for his love of firepits and his unique firestarters. It was inclusion at its best.
Internally we also noticed that our team’s engagement increased as they became more involved in building the businesses. The quality of life improved significantly for each individual, including personal relationships, their self-view, future aspirations, and community interactions. The community involvement increased as local folks showed up to support each entrepreneur.
I believe this approach can be replicated in other states, and I am eager to spread the word about the great work being done by Futures Inc. Currently, we are operating on a very small grant, and additional support would be wonderful to continue and expand these programs.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our journey and the incredible impact we are making. Let’s continue to support and empower individuals with disabilities to achieve their dreams and thrive in their communities.