Who needs Wonder Woman when you’ve got mothers? We have the same perseverance, power, and grit—plus our own versions of that Lasso of Truth. Read about the 20 women who are using their superpowers to make the world a better place for their children and others.
Amy Wright
Mother of Lillie, 19, Emma, Grace, 17, Beau, 13, and Bitty, 8
It’s challenging for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities to find work. Amy, who has two children with Down syndrome, decided to do something about it. She opened Bitty and Beau’s Coffee shop—named after her kids—in Wilmington, NC, and began hiring employees with disabilities. She just recently added her second shop in Charleston, SC. Amy’s heartfelt mission earned her the 2017 CNN Hero of the Year award and the chance to help more people like her children thrive.
I enjoy watching the transformation of typically developing people when they truly “see” people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the first time.
My kids always give me advice: Bitty tells me to never leave the house without bracelets, and Beau reminds me to never skip meals—or dessert.
The question I wish more people would ask me is “What’s it like having two children with Down syndrome?”
When I learned there are 6.2 million people in the U.S. with intellectual or developmental disabilities and only 34% are employed, I knew my work was the right fit for me.
If I had a hashtag, it would be #NotBroken—as I said in my CNN heroes speech, my children are not broken.