It’s harder than ever for people with I/DD to find employment, which is why it’s always good to read stories about cafes, coffee shops and bakeries hiring people with disabilities. (Why does it always seem to be cafes, coffee shops and bakeries? Probably because they’re highly visible, making it easy for news sites and news shows to stumble on them.)

Recent articles include this one from Houston’s KHOU about a new coffee shop in the city’s Rice Village shopping district. Bitty & Beau’s, according to its website, has 23 locations across 12 states — the closest to Westchester seems to be a location in Bethlehem, Pa. — with over 400 employees. The shop was started by Amy and Ben Wright, parents/advocates who have four children; one was born with autism and two were born with Down syndrome.

Earlier this month, The Guardian had a wonderful story about a café in Melbourne, Australia, All Things Equal, that employs people with disabilities. All Things Equal also has an ice cream truck, so yeah, it rules.

Let’s talk Westchester. There are cafes and bakeries in the area that employ people with disabilities, but there don’t seem to be very many. They include Coffee for Good in Greenwich and By the Way Bakery in Hastings-on-Hudson. Hoping to open this year is Sleepy Coffee, Too, in Sleepy Hollow.

Do you know of others? Let me know, I’d love to do a local update.