Shared Grounds and Sons

10/09/2026

StoryCorps just published a special collection for Disability Awareness Month — and we've been sitting with it all morning.

One story features Bonnie Brown, a single mom with an intellectual disability, in a recorded conversation with her daughter about the hopes and fears she carried while raising her. Another features John Washington, who was born blind and developed severe hearing loss over time, sharing the pride he took in raising his children despite everything.
These are the stories that don't make headlines. But they should.

At Shared Grounds and Sons, our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee as their real, meaningful job. Every order supports people whose stories are just as powerful as Bonnie's and John's. Come find us at the link below.

Read more: storycorps.org/disabilityawareness
sharedgroundsandsons.com

https://storycorps.org/disabilityawareness/

10/08/2026

Invisible Disabilities Week is coming up October 18–24 — and this year it's celebrating its 30th anniversary.

A woman named Amie published her story this week about living with cerebral palsy — a condition that affects her every single day but isn't always something others can see. She describes the unique challenge of navigating public spaces when your struggle isn't obvious, and the importance of a world that chooses to understand rather than assume.

Her message resonated with us deeply. At Shared Grounds and Sons, we believe in seeing people fully — not just the parts that are easy to notice. Our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee in a business built on exactly that belief. Come find us at the link below.

Read more: cerebralpalsyguide.com/blog/invisible-disabilities-week-2026

sharedgroundsandsons.com

10/07/2026

Something incredible is happening in Malmö, Sweden this week.

The Special Olympics Sweden Invitational Games 2026 just opened — and it's being called the largest sporting event ever held in Sweden for people with intellectual disabilities. 2,000 athletes. 26 nations. 11 sports. All competing together in what one volunteer called "an unforgettable experience."

Toyota Motor Europe sent nine volunteers across Europe just to be part of it. Not because they had to. Because they wanted to show up.

At Shared Grounds and Sons, we think about that kind of showing up every day. Our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee in a business built on exactly that commitment. Come find us at the link below.

Read more: specialolympics.org/stories/news
sharedgroundsandsons.com

https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/news/

10/01/2026

Happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month!

October 1st — and Special Olympics just published something we had to share.
Their athletes aren't just competing on the field anymore. They're working in kitchens, hotels, manufacturing facilities, and businesses across the country. And Special Olympics put it in the most powerful way possible: when people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are given real opportunity, they don't just succeed — they lead.
At Shared Grounds and Sons, we've been living that truth since day one. Our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee with the kind of consistency and pride that makes us genuinely proud every single day. October is a great time to celebrate that. And to grab a bag while you're at it. Come find us at the link below.

Read more: specialolympics.org/stories/news/national-disability-employment-awareness-month-special-olympics-athletes-in-the-workplace

sharedgroundsandsons.com

https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/news/national-disability-employment-awareness-month-special-olympics-athletes-in-the-workplace

09/30/2026

A special report out today caught our attention — and it's worth sharing.

Texas Standard took a deep look at how AI is becoming a genuine lifeline for the disability community. Smart glasses that caption conversations in real time. AI tools that help people navigate independently. Technology that's giving people with disabilities a level of freedom and access that wasn't possible just a few years ago.

The headline frames it as a fear versus opportunity debate — but for the disability community, the opportunity side of that equation is genuinely life-changing.

At Shared Grounds and Sons, we see what happens when the right tools meet the right people every single day. Our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee in a business built around exactly that belief. Come find us at the link below.

📰Read more: houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/technology/2026/09/28/563013/ai-stokes-fears-but-can-be-a-boon-for-the-disabled-community-heres-how-else-its-impacting-texans
sharedgroundsandsons.com

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/technology/2026/09/28/563013/ai-stokes-fears-but-can-be-a-boon-for-the-disabled-community-heres-how-else-its-impacting-texans/

09/28/2026

Big news from the U.S. Department of Labor this week.

Historic numbers of Americans with disabilities are entering the workforce — and the Department just launched a brand new "Make Work Pay Hub" to help workers with disabilities save what they earn, build financial independence, and live the American dream.
Their message to employers, HR professionals, and advocates? Spread the word. Help get every eligible worker with a disability working and earning.
At Shared Grounds and Sons, we've been living that message since day one. Our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee as their real, consistent job. Real wages. Real independence. Real belonging. With October — National Disability Employment Awareness Month — right around the corner, there's no better time to support a business doing this work every day. Come find us at the link below.

Read more: dol.gov/agencies/odep/publications/news-brief

sharedgroundsandsons.com

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/publications/news-brief

09/24/2026

A story from earlier this year that's still making waves — and for good reason.

Brody's Boundless Playground broke ground in Overland Park, Kansas — a fully inclusive play space designed so that every child, regardless of ability, can play alongside everyone else. Already named a National Demonstration Site. Built by a family whose son inspired the whole thing.

His dad said it perfectly: "Supporting an inclusive playground is deeply meaningful to our family because it reflects something fundamental: belonging."

That one word. Belonging. Not accommodation. Not access. Belonging.

At Shared Grounds and Sons, our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee in a business built around that same word. Come find us at the link below.

Read more: startlandnews.com/2026/04/brodys-boundless-playground

sharedgroundsandsons.com

A new all-abilities playground designed to center accessibility, dignity, and shared play is swinging forward in Overland Park — with a push from one of Kansas City’s most successful startup founders.

09/23/2026

A quote from Disability:IN's September roundup has been on our minds all week.

"Organizations are increasingly embracing digital accessibility as a key driver of creativity, innovation, and revenue."

Not charity. Not compliance. Creativity. Innovation. Revenue.

That shift in how the business world thinks about disability inclusion is one we've been watching — and quietly cheering for — since we started Shared Grounds and Sons. Our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee in a business built on exactly that belief. Inclusion isn't a cost. It's a foundation. Come find us at the link below.

Read more: disabilityin.org/articles-and-updates/september-digital-accessibility-roundup

sharedgroundsandsons.com

09/21/2026

The August disability employment report just came out — and it's the best news we've read in a while.
Employment for people with disabilities hit an all-time record high in August — 39.8% employed, tying the highest mark ever recorded. And while employment for people without disabilities actually declined last month, our community kept climbing.

Researchers at Kessler Foundation called it remarkable — more people with disabilities working than at any point in recorded history, even as the broader workforce pulled back.

At Shared Grounds and Sons, we see that same determination in our Kitchen Crew every single day. Adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay who hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee and show up — no matter what. Come be part of this community at the link below.

Read more: eurekalert.org/news-releases/1142792

sharedgroundsandsons.com

More Americans with disabilities were working in August, tying the record high reached in November 2025, even as employment among people without disabilities declined, according to today’s National Trends in Disability Employment–Jobs Report (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the....

09/18/2026

After 50 years of advocacy and 20 years of litigation, the United States is finally releasing a redesigned $10 bill with raised tactile features — allowing people who are blind or have low vision to identify paper money by touch. More than 100 other countries already have this. We're catching up.

ACB President Dan Spoone said it best: "50 years of advocating and 20 years of litigation have brought us to this momentous occasion."

At Shared Grounds and Sons, we think about that kind of persistence a lot. Our Kitchen Crew — adults with special needs right here in Tampa Bay — hand-pack every bag of our small-batch coffee in a business built on the belief that our community deserves more than what's been offered. The advocates who came before us made that possible. We try to honor their work every single day. Come find us at the link below.

📰 Read more: ameridisability.com/u-s-money-to-be-redesigned-with-accessible-features
🌐 sharedgroundsandsons.com

U.S. Money to be redesigned with accessible features to better serve the disabled community. Activists and supporters say the change is worth every penny.