Since her son Beau was born with Down syndrome, Beau’s Coffee founder Amy Wright wanted to change the way society viewed those with intellectual disabilities.
Since her son Beau was born 12 years ago with Down syndrome, Beau’s Coffee founder Amy Wright wanted to change the way society viewed those with intellectual disabilities.
But in 2015 the idea of how she could do that came to her in the shower, where she said she does all her best thinking.
“It was like divine intervention and ever since we made the decision to go for it, everything just fell quickly into place.”
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder typically associated with physical and intellectual growth delays. Staffers at Beau’s Coffee have a range of disabilities including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and others.
Beau’s Coffee opened in February at the corner of Wrightsville and Kerr Avenue. The community buzzed with the new shop that supported an employment opportunity for those with intellectual disabilities and word quickly spread around the nation.
Before Beau was born Wright admits learning her son would have Down syndrome was scary, and she and her husband, Ben, had little exposure to people with Down syndrome.
“We are so embarrassed about that now, but if we had had more exposure to people with Down syndrome back then maybe we would have felt differently,” she said.
Six years later they had Bitty, now 6, who also had Down syndrome. Wright said it is rare for families to have more than one child with Down syndrome, so they felt like their blessing of two children with Down syndrome would soon turn into a calling to help others.
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