{"id":229366,"date":"2020-08-22T15:33:15","date_gmt":"2020-08-22T20:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=229366"},"modified":"2020-08-22T00:02:27","modified_gmt":"2020-08-22T05:02:27","slug":"south-dakota-coffee-shop-employing-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/south-dakota-coffee-shop-employing-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"South Dakota coffee shop employing people with disabilities is now up and running"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The first coffee shop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to employ people with disabilities has just opened its doors. Yakkity Yak Coffee Shack<\/a> is staffed by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and its mission is to ensure that people of all abilities are seen as respected and appreciated members of their community.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the new venture was announced, with its grand opening delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But today, the coffee shop is open, serving food and drinks, and is staffed by employees with various disabilities \u2014 some are blind, some have Down syndrome, some are autistic, and so on. \u201cThis helps to break the stereotype that people with different abilities can\u2019t do anything they want and that they can\u2019t support themselves,\u201d manager Meredith Molseed told the Argus Leader<\/a>. \u201cIf you give people a chance to do what they want, anything is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0\u2018No limits\u2019: New Jersey restaurant to train and employ adults with disabilities<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Molseed’s own personal experiences influenced her views on disability; her aunt had learning delays, so she grew up around people with disabilities and saw them as a normal part of life. But she knows not everyone had the same experience, and grew into adults who are not as accepting of people with disabilities. She hopes Yakkity Yak changes that. \u201cThere\u2019s just a stigma that they can\u2019t do anything or can\u2019t do it without help,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the amount of independence they have here is unreal. They\u2019re not seen as a person with different abilities. They\u2019re just seen as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n