After working in the special education setting for over 10 years the founders of ABLE Coffee Roasters, Anthony and Adeel, saw the need and realization that employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities were limited. Working in an Autism classroom together, both Anthony and Adeel would work daily with their students on vocational skills within the classroom and various job sites within the community. As a part of school programs students worked and volunteered at various job sites to gain vocational and employability skills. But oftentimes, it was difficult for employers to work with various students and provide the reasonable accommodations needed for their success in the workplace. This was not only a concern and frustration they saw, but there was a disadvantage for students after they graduated from their adult transition program around the age of 22. Typically those who were interested would look for a job but the opportunities were so limited that the unemployment rate unfortunately reached 80-percent.

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Anthony and Adeel decided to create their own company to employ not only their students, but all individuals who were actively looking for work. Our founders wanted to create an environment where those with disabilities do not have to worry about the stress of fancy resumes and intense interview processes or feeling as if their disability is a limiting factor in the workforce. By creating tasks that are simple to learn and master using teaching strategies such as symbol supported text, schedules, and visual/video models our employees are able to generalize newly-mastered skills and incorporate them into their daily lives. With effective training from our experienced staff our employees are an important and inclusive part of our country's workforce. We hope to close the gap between the employed and unemployed one roast at a time.