Final Project Report

Final Project Report
01
FINAL PROJECT
REPORT
Educating society & eliminating
stereotypes to create an inclusive
workforce
The CAPABLE Community

This report documents our work over the course of our time in Introduction to Social
Entrepreneurship 4010 with Dr. Warmath in the Fall semester of 2021 at the University of
Georgia. This report tracks the progress of our semester long project about the employment of
people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities from start to finish.
Abby Lane, Anna Yobp, & Lindsay Owens

02
CONTENTS
03 The Problem 39 Support Needed
04 Original Research 42 Bringing the Idea to Life
08 Interviews 43 Barriers
12 Survey 44 Timeline To Launch
14 Need Statement 45 Community Support
15 Ideation 47 Questions & Contact
18 Big Ideas 48 References
19 Further Research
21 Prototype
37 Testing
03
THE PROBLEM
"80% of adults with intellectual and

developmental disabilities are unemployed."
What are Introduction

IDD's?
IDD is the abbreviation for
80% of adults with intellectual and developmental
Intellectual and disabilities in the United States are unemployed.
Developmental Disability. Nationally, only ⅔ of students with IDDs graduate from

high school, while the rest drop out between ages 14-21.
There are over 7 million For those who graduate, few go on to college or become
people in the United States employed (Bureau Labor Statistics, 2020).
with IDDs, which is about
2% of the population When we were first considering the shocking statistics
(Bureau Labor Statistics, about IDD unemployment, we believed the main problem
2020). was a lack of proper training programs and education for

those with IDDs. We thought adults with IDDs needed
IDDs are usually present at additional help gaining skills and getting prepared in order
birth and limit a person's
to achieve jobs in the workforce. Therefore, we believed
ability to learn and function
the best option to solve this problem was creating more
in daily life. The most
work-based learning programs in communities and
common types of
schools.
intellectual disabilities
include autism, Down's
Through our discovery stage, we conducted research,
Syndrome, and Fragile X
Syndrome (Facts about
interviews and surveys to gain empathy and understanding
Intellectual Disability in for why the IDD unemployment rate is so high.
Children, 2021).
04
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Statistics
In 2020, 17.9% of persons with a disability were employed, down
from 19.3% percent in 2019 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020).
An estimated 420,000 individuals with disabilities are paid an
average of just $2.15 per hour (Forbes, 2019).
Workers with a disability were more likely to be employed part
time than those with no disability (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
2020).
Employed persons with a disability were more likely to be self-
employed than those with no disability (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2020).
Low Graduation Rates & Figure 1

Post-Secondary Education
“Washington polls its former special-needs
students, and last month released the most recent
results: Of 5,354 disabled youth who left high school
in 2012-13 and responded to the state’s survey, only
24 percent were enrolled in college one year later,
a rate no better or worse than two years before”
(The Seattle Times, 2016).

In addition, as seen in Figure 1, graduation rates for

students with disabilities vary across the states. The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is
striving to close the gap between graduation rates
for those with disabilities and those without High school graduation rates for students with
disabilities. disabilities vary in the United States.


05
Government Aid/Assistance
Individuals With Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA is a law that was passed in 1975

that made available a free public Section 504 of the
education to children with disabilities Rehabilitation Act of
and ensures special education and 1973
related services to the children. In
addition, IDEA usually requires schools This law prohibits discrimination
to design "transition plans" & provide against people with disabilities in
job training (Individuals with programs that receive federal
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), financial assistance (Protecting
2021). Students with Disabilities, 2020).
Americans With
What is the Fair Labor
Disabilities Act
Standards Act?
Although the government provides
This law passed in 1990 prohibits
assistance in some areas, they still allow for
discrimination in the workforce through the discrimination against individuals
Fair Labor Standards Act. The FLSA allows with disabilities in all areas of
for certain employees to have wage rates public life, including jobs, schools,
below the minimum wage. These transportation, and all public and
individuals include those who are "impaired
private places that are open to the
by a physical or mental disability". The
general public (What Is the
minimum wage for these individuals is
$2.45 an hour (Wages and the Fair Labor Americans with Disabilities Act
Standards Act, 2021). (ADA)?, 2021).
06
Many Resources
In our research, we found there are many programs

available for students with IDDs that prepare them
for college and the workforce. While we thought
there would not be enough available, we found there
are more than enough preexisting programs.
Penguin
ESP Destination
Project
Non-profit in
A national theatre Dawgs
Watkinsville that exists
program that provides a The University of
to create transformative supportive environment Georgia’s inclusive post-
experiences for people for children with IDDs to secondary program that
with disabilities & their explore their creative includes people with
families (ESP Home, talents (About Us Penguin
IDDs (Destination Dawgs,
2021). Project, 2021).
2021).
Advancing
Employment There are also many other resources in
Georgia’s Technical Assistance the nation- these are just a few examples.
Center for Best Practices in
After we saw how much is available for
Employment Supports. It is here
where individuals with those with IDDs , we started wondering
disabilities, their families, and
why there is still a high unemployment
others interested in employment
can learn and connect with one rate for adults with IDDs.
another (Who We Are, 2021).
07
Inequalities
Subminimum Wages Ableism
An estimated 420,000 individuals with Digging deeper, we found a lot of evidence

disabilities are paid an average of just demonstrating that employers have a
$2.15 per hour. Employers justify these tendency to not give adults with special
sub-minimum-wages by saying they’re needs a chance to even be employed.
providing the workers with vocational This is because for a lot of jobs, work
training and jobs for those who otherwise experience is stated as one of the criteria in a
never find one. However this traps job application
workers with IDD’s in "exploitative and
discriminatory" job programs (Sarah Kim, Ableism is not just to the discrimination
2019). experienced by people with disabilities, but
also the reinforcement of past and current
practices and constructs that were created
Workplace by and for individuals perceived as
Discrimination “typically” abled (Aude Henin, 2016).
Christopher Burns is a 40 year old living in the

UK
who has been struggling to find work for the
past 20 years. He has been rejected from over
FOCUS SHIFT
70 full-time jobs, which has left him stuck As we researched further, we
bouncing in between part-time minimum wage found an ample amount of
jobs. He links it oto how employers
evidence that the focus of
automatically judge his autism and speech
change should be society's
impediment, and make assumptions about him
stereotypes, not people with
(Frances Ryan, 2017).
IDDs themselves.
“You just feel a failure,” he says. “That you
haven’t got the job and life other people take
for granted.”
08
INTERVIEWS
Haden Keen
Barista at
Circle of Friends Coffee Shop
Hayden Keen is is a KSU college graduate, and

is a barista at the Circle of Friends Coffee Shop. “I love working here, my
This shop was founded by his parents who felt
there was a need for more employment favorite part is seeing all the
opportunities for people like their son who smiling faces from
have IDDs. customers”
In the interview, Hayden emphasized that the
lack of employment options for people with “I don't really care about the
IDDs is sad, but as more businesses employ money, I like the people and
people with IDDs, they prove to the world that engagement with
it’s possible for them to be productive members
of the workplace. community.”

Amy Wright
Founder and Owner of Bitty and Beau's
Amy Wright is the mom of 4

kids, 3 of whom have an IDD. In “The biggest obstacle for those with
order to help create a more special needs is finding meaningful
inclusive and equal workforce employment.”
for her kids, Amy started a
coffee shop that primarily hired
people with IDDs. Named after "I believe the true problem is not that
her son and daughter, Bitty & the jobs aren’t out there, but that people
Beau's helps society see that
do not truly value people with
people with IDDs are capable
and belong in the workforce. intellectual and developmental
disabilities."
09
Lele Griner
Founder of Baking with Lele
Lele is a graduate from “It’s important to feel

UGA who started her own important at your job.
baking business, Baking
And it needs to bring you
with Lele. In college, Lele
worked as a cashier at happiness”.
several jobs like Chick-fil-A
and Alumni Cookie Dough. "My mission is to spread

However, she finds most
joy through baked goods
satisfaction and joy baking,
so she started her own and advocate for
business on Instagram. inclusivity and following
your dreams."
Aysha Bee
Founder of Aysha's Art Creations
Aysha just graduated high school and has her own digital
art business where she creates and sells portraits of people.
She has Cerebral Palsy, but does not let that stop her from
having a job.
"My dream job is to

work at Apple There is something to notice here with both Lele and Aysha.
They both have started their own businesses, because it
because I love Apple allows them to have a job that is meaningful to them. Lele
products, and think has had other jobs, while Aysha has not tried looking, but
I would be great at they both found the easiest way for them to enjoy their job is
to create it themselves. While this is incredible, it should
it since I am into
bring awareness of the limits our society has given people
technology." with disabilities.


10
Ansley Taylor
Volunteer at Best Buddies & sister to Kinzey
Ansley Taylor is a student at the University of Tennessee, and is a member of their on-
campus club, Best Buddies. She also has a sister, Kinzey, who has a very rare
chromosomal deletion disorder, known as Phelan McDermid Syndrome. In this
interview, we ask Ansley about Best Buddies, Kinzey, and her thoughts about people
with IDDs in the workforce.
Q: What is Best Buddies?

A: A club that partners with the future program at UTK. The future program is a post-secondary
education program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Best buddies
pairs the future students with 1 to 1 friendships with UTK students. Best Buddies has lots of fun
events, and provides the fun-social aspect of their college experience in the future program.
Q: Tell me about Kinzey

A: Kinzey has phelan mcdermid syndrome which is super rare. It is an intellectual and
developmental disability. It is a chromosomal deletion disorder.
Q: What was her school program like?

A: She went to a school in Charlotte, NC , called The Metro School, which is for kids with
disabilities. She had an IEP (individualized education plan). It is different from normal school
because teachers and staff are specially trained. They do life skills like cooking and laundry,
which prepare the students for living independently, but this is only applicable for high-
functioning students. Because of common core, the lower school curriculum is pretty much the
same as ours, even though they really won’t be able to comprehend most of it.
Q: Because she is nonverbal, do you know how different her education experience was?
A: Kinzey's class was overall very low-functioning, and was basically day care and social time.
Q: What kind of programs did her school provide?

A: Outside of school, Kinzey went to different therapies that were through the government.
Kinzey's sitters are not paid for by her family, but they are paid for by the government to
support families with disabled kids.
Q: Do you think Kinzey or other kids that you have met through Best Buddies ever feel isolated
when they are at school or receiving extra help?
A: One student said it's hard to make friends, because some are so isolated that they just don’t
make friends and are labeled as the “special kids.”
11
(answer continued)
...The future program at UT does a great job integrating them
because they are in normal classes with everyone, but also
receiving extra help as well. They LOVE the extra help and see
it as fun and helpful. The Future students are very self-aware
that they have a disability and that they need help. They teach
them not to mask or hide their disability because it's a part of
who they are, and it's not a bad thing.
Q: Do they feel welcome in society, especially in the

workforce?
A: I don't think they feel welcomed in society as a whole, but
in a smaller community, yes. People with disabilities are
legally allowed to be paid subminimum wages. Walmart used
to have greeters, but Walmart said you can't pay them
subminimum wages, so they decided to just get rid of greeters.
They are not welcome in the workforce.
Q: What do you think about people with developmental and intellectual disabilities having jobs?
A: I think it's great! It is very important to have jobs because if they don't have jobs, they are not
contributing to society, not growing, and basically just sitting there.
Q: Do you think all people with IDDs are capable of having a normal job and working alongside
the rest of the workforce?
A: No. Not like “normal”. Kinzey could never have a job without someone there to support her
because of her physical needs.
Q: Sadly, there would have to be restrictions on who out of those people are capable of different
job capacities… What do you think those restrictions would be/should be/should not be
A: You shouldn't look at someone and see that they have a disability and say they can't have the
job. But, it depends on the capacity of the job. If they don't fit the requirements, they don’t fit the
requirements. This shouldn't be just because they have a disability.
Q: Do you think restrictions would be hurtful?

A: People shouldn't give them jobs because they are like “awww you have a job.” We want them
to have fulfilling jobs that are actually meaningful.
Q: How can we help them feel valued and needed in society?

A: For me, it's treating them like they are just any other person. We can make them feel
welcomed by just being a good person, but you don’t need to go out of your way. Get it out of
your head that they are “different”. It's a mindset thing.
12
SURVEY
We conducted a survey to see what the general public knew
about Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities...
Equal Career Opportunities?

When asked if they felt that people with
disabilities have equal career opportunities
as people without disabilities, 69% of No: 69%
participants said “no” and 28.9% said
“sometimes.”
If so many people said no or sometimes, why

DON’T people with IDDs have equal
opportunities in the workforce? WHY isn’t
anyone doing anything about it?
Sometimes: 28.9%
Yes: 2.4%
Left chart: Do you have a job or

have you had a job in the past?
Right chart: Have you ever
received any disability training at
Yes: 97.6% No: 87.8%
No: 2.4% Yes: 12.2% your job?
Only 12.2% of participants had received any sort of disability training from
their employer.
For participants who answered yes to having received disability training, we asked them what that
training consisted of:
Banking regulations for accessibility for employees and customers
Online modules
Going through a presentation and watching videos of people who were affected
Online training courses
Awareness, sensitivities
13
How do you identify with the following statements?

(5 being very accurate, 1 being very inaccurate)
20
15
People with an IDD
cannot be a part of the
competitive workforce
10
5
When interacting with
people with an IDD, I
want to help them but I
do not know how
0
1 2 3 4 5
It is interesting that the majority of people disagree that people with

IDD’s cannot be a part of the competitive workforce, however, the
majority of people agree that they want to help people with IDD’s but do
not know how.
Participants believed that people with IDD’s can be a part of the

competitive workforce but they don’t know how to help. That is exactly
why disability training is necessary and important. Disability training
gives people the skills and knowledge so that they CAN help people with
IDD’s become normal members of society and actively participate in the
workforce.
14
NEED STATEMENT
People with IDDs need a

way to have fulfilling
employment because they
are people too.
We came up with this need statement because through all of our

research and gaining empathy, we found that the problem was that
people with IDDs are not treated like other people.

They are discriminated against simply because they have a

disability, and therefore are frequently not given the opportunities
to apply for jobs. Therefore, our need statement highlights that just
because someone has a disability, does not mean they are any less
deserving of a meaningful job.
15
IDEATION
After researching the problem, gaining empathy, interviewing
people with IDDs, and developing our need statements, we began
to ideate solutions for the lack of job opportunities and negative
societal stereotypes towards people with Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities.
Our main goals of ideation were to:

Increase people's awareness of IDDs
Make it easier to find meaningful jobs
Inform employers about the capabilities of people with IDDs
Prevent isolation and job discrimination
Normalize disabilities in the workplace/make them feel included
Decrease "pity jobs"
Advocate for equal pay
Help people get their dream jobs
Create equality in the workplace
After brainstorming ideas that would accomplish the goals listed

above, we examined our ideas and recognized three common
themes. So, we then organized our ideas into their corresponding
theme. Our themes are listed below. On the next page we list the
ideas that correspond to each theme.
Legislation/
Technology/
Awareness Employer
Internet
Requirements
16
Awareness
Programs that check in on companies to observe their level of diversity and inclusion, and they
let employers know what they can do better
Require schools to provide equal exposure between those with and without IDDs (normalizes
them as a part of daily life from a young age)
Start clubs at schools for awareness of the capabilities of people with IDDs
Organization advocating for equal pay, rights, and opportunities for people with IDDs.
They help by creating a website where people can go to find jobs, report their feeling of
including and value in their job, and can report on how interviews are going.
Have a conference all about disability training/hiring for employers
Put people with IDDs stories everywhere, and make it impossible for others to ignore it
Diversity training program (rather than disability training)
Disability awareness seminars: held at schools and monthly employee meetings
Create a logo that can be on store/company windows that shows they hire people with all
abilities.
You have to buy this logo and money goes toward the initiative of getting awareness out
Anonymous program that people with IDDs can go to if they are feeling mistreated or like they
are not equal in their job
Employment resource: an organization people can go to for help finding employment that
caters to their needs and interests
Disability training that informs employees about IDDs, without making IDDs seems like a
weakness.
More of a tool to increase diversity about changing the mindset
Start a club at schools that dives into unemployment problems and each week has a different
company they reach out to
Community group for people with IDDs, kind of like AA, but not a bad thing. It is for them to
share experiences and help network
Legislation/Employer Requirements
Override the law that allows people with IDDs to be paid sub-minimum wages
Law that requires those who are discriminatory or hateful towards people with IDDs to be
fired
Get a government grant that offers companies monetary compensation/tax
breaks/benefits if they hire more people with IDDs
Legislation requiring equal pay for all humans, disability or not
Require disability training when you are hired for any job
Non-biased interviews when applying for jobs. i.e. interviewing with a representative for
the company, rather than a current employee or boss
Full disclosure of job description, requirements, and pay when applying
17
Technology/Internet
Job search engine with specific filters such as, limitations, experience, education, location,
and interests. Available jobs are pre-screened and categorized based on what their
requirements are and the topic of interests they may relate to. It will also suggests other
jobs that may be similar to your interests. If you have a lot of limitations, there are still
options like greeting, etc. There is NEVER a "no jobs available" screen.
Create a training video for how to go about hiring people with IDDs that is available for
any employer to access
Start a hashtag trend of #wehireallabilities and for example, get it to show pictures in
sanford stadium
App for people with IDDs (and anyone else who wants to get involved) that shows
personalized jobs based off their interests, has a social aspect where they can connect
with others struggling with the same issues, daily encouragement reminders/positivity
boosters
A website all for informing parents of children with IDDs of upcoming challenges, what
they can do to advocate, potential jobs to already be looking at, etc.
Job website or organization for people looking for employment who have an IDD. the
website asks questions to get to know their interests, their physical limitations, and their
experience. Finds jobs that are hiring and aligns available jobs with the clients interests
Live, editable list of jobs hiring
Get celebrities to post #hireallabilites and just see what happens
A website with educational tools on IDDs, lists of job opportunities for people with IDDs
Reach out to large companies with big influence (Disney, Apple, Amazon) and have them
advocate for the inclusion of people with IDDs in the workplace (they might help because
it will look good for their brand)
After revisiting our need statement, we realized that the

ideas within our three common themes had their own
similarities, and that there were overarching ideas that
we could extract from each theme.

We examined our ideas in each theme and came up with

three big ideas as to what we may pursue and eventually
create a prototype for.
18
BIG IDEAS
Through the ideation process, we came up with 3 big ideas that
we felt best addressed our problem and need statement.
Diversity Training Brand community
Available for any Build united

company, employer, community for
or school to use anyone who wants to
Free and easily change society for
accessible the better in terms of
equality for those
with IDDs
Offer subscribers to
Legislation participate in
discussions, ask
Enforces laws like questions, chat
equal pay to adults privately with
with disabilities experts, attend
Anti-discriminatory events, get exclusive
laws deals, etc.
Narrowing It Down
Since there are already hundreds of diversity training programs and
legislation would likely take years to finally be implemented, we believe that a
brand community would be the most unique and impactful idea to pursue. A
brand community would be our most viable idea that meets our need and will
truly make an impact.
19
FURTHER
RESEARCH
After narrowing down our ideas into 3 big ideas, we decided to move
forward with our idea of creating a brand community.
A brand community is a place where people who

have an emotional connection to your brand can
What? connect with each other and with your brand.
Our brand community would be about advocating
for IDD inclusion and equality in the workforce.
We are doing this by building a community, making

those who want to learn, aware of the problems, and
giving them a place to ask questions, talk to others,
Why?
attend events, and more.
We found it to be a reasonable and effective way of

How? informing society about inequality in the workforce
due to society’s stereotypes about people with IDDs.
20
We realized that in order to create a more inclusive workforce, our first step
would be to educate people about the inequalities faced by those with IDD's
and normalize people with IDD's being in the workforce.
Realize how Reduce

Educate capable those stereotypes for
society with IDD's those with IDD's
are
People with
More job IDD's able to
opportunities achieve fulfilling
employment
In turn, we deemed it necessary to revise our original need statement,

resulting in our updated need statement:
"Society needs to be educated on IDDs to

reduce their stereotypes in order for people
with IDDs to achieve fulfilling
employment."
21
PROTOTYPE
Low-Fidelity Prototype
Website Will Have: Website Design:

Expert speakers on IDD's and Interactive
diversity Accessible
Merchandise Easy to navigate
Resources for disability training Organized
& awareness Informative
Incentives to join Easy access to contact a
discounts or coupons if you professional
subscribe Different pages, but easy to hop
Live question forums around (not too messy)
Group chats, a way to get Features:
connected with others Home Page
Social aspect About
Articles related to diversity, Mission
disabilities, and jobs Training
Join email list & subscribe Job Search
Private chat to chat with a Contact (include social media
professional platforms)
Personal Stories
Focus of Website: Articles & other resources
Chat
Equality Shop
Inclusion
IDD's do make someone Brand Name Ideas:
different, but different isn't a bad
thing AllAbilities
Changing societies stereotypical CAPABLE
views of people with IDDs PersonFirst
Emphasize that they are people Abled.Co
too that can function and succeed justlikeyou
in the workplace & life
Resources to learn more about
IDD's and other disabilities
22
Merchandise Ideas:
T-shirts
Stickers
Water bottles
Bracelets advocating IDD
inclusion & equality
Small flag to put in your yard
based off "capture the flag"
idea from UGA's Extra Special
People (ESP)
Graphic taken from ESP website
Companies that Brand Community

Hire Employees Examples:
with IDD's: Could base our website on these
Womaness
Could offer deals/incentives to
AARP
subscribers
Gymshark
Publix
Starbucks
Bitty & Beaus
Harley Davidson
Chickfila
Lululemon Athletica
Goodwill
Kroger
Diversity Professionals to
Have on Staff:
Laura Whitaker -- CEO of Extra Special People
Matthew Williams -- Canadian Special Olympics Athlete
Michelle Chimuka -- Founder of the Sani Foundation
Even lesser known people, anyone passionate and
informed about this
23
Core Messages: What do we want to accomplish with our brand
community?
Spread Awareness
De-stigmatize IDD's and educate society about the wide
capabilities people with IDD's have
Easily accessible via our website & social media
Provide Resources
Experts available to chat & educate
Option to sign up for the mentor program
Articles with information
Create a Community
Establishing a sense of community combats the issue of
people with IDD's feeling isolated and having no social
support
Group discussions, community forum, private chat
Events to attend
By tackling the issues of lack of awareness,

resources, and community for people with
IDD's, we can in turn increase the
possibilities of employment for them.
24
High-Fidelity Prototype
We decided to name our brand "CAPABLE" because, based on
stereotypes, a frequent term used to describe people with IDDs is
"incapable." However, our brand's goal is to eliminate these stereotypes
by educating people about the endless capabilities people with IDDs
have and helping people with IDDs feel capable enough to have an equal
and fulfilling role in the workforce.

In order to do this, we created a high-fidelity prototype of our website

via Google Sites to demonstrate how it would function, what its features
would be, and how you could navigate it. On the next page, we take a
more in-depth look at the features of the website. If you would like to
explore the website yourself, scan the QR code below.
Scan me! Our Logo

25
Home Page
This is the home page of our website. To make the site easy to navigate, we created five main pages,
located in the top right-hand corner. There is also a search function to easily search and find what you
are looking for.
26
Donate Page
You can access the donate page by clicking the "Donate" tab in the top right-
hand corner of the website. This page is where anyone can submit donations
to our non-profit. We ask donors to specify the amount they wish to
contribute, their name (can be anonymous), and their reason for donating.
Any amount will help our mission to eliminate stereotypes towards people
with IDDs and help form a more accepting society and workforce.
As a non-profit organization, we strongly welcome donations from those

who want to make a difference and are passionate about our cause. Any
donations we receive are used to help us fund events, rent venues, pay
employees, spread awareness, and support those with intellectual and
developmental disabilities.
27
Shop Page
You can access the shop page by clicking the "Shop" tab in the top right-hand corner of the website.
The shop page of our website is where all of our merchandise will be sold. You can see your shopping
cart by clicking "cart" on the right-hand side of the page. You can also filter the merchandise you see
by clicking "filter." You will then see a drop-down menu in which you can select which type of
merchandise you would like to see.
Currently, we have eight prototype products in our shop, which are shown below. We wanted all of
our products to use a similar color-scheme in order to create a sense of unity within our brand. Selling
merchandise is one of the advertising vehicles that our brand utilizes. When a customer buys one of
our products with our brand printed on it, it will encourage the unsubscribed public to ask questions
and therefore become familiar with our brand.
28
About Page
You can access the about page by clicking the "About" tab in the top right-hand corner of the website. This
page gives an overall summary of our brand including links to more specific pages about our mission,
experts, and contact information for our founders.
29
Our Mission Page
You can access the page about our mission by hovering your mouse over the "About" tab in the top right-
hand corner of the website, then clicking "Our Mission." This page explains CAPABLE's mission
statement, which is to raise awareness for the inclusion and acceptance of people with IDDs in our society
and in the workplace. Educating society and spreading awareness is essential to reducing negative
stereotypes and creating a more equal world for everyone.
30
Experts Page
You can access the experts page by hovering your mouse over the "About" tab in the top right-hand
corner of the website, then clicking "Experts." This page showcases our experts on staff: Laura Whittaker,
Matthew Williams, and Michelle Chimuka. Our experts provide the educational aspect of CAPABLE by
offering professional expertise about diversity, inclusion, and disabilities. Subscribers can privately chat
with them, to ask questions, ask for advice, and to learn about the struggles people with IDDs face in our
society everyday.
To expand our employee base, we are constantly searching for people who are passionate about our
brand and experienced in any related topic to our brand.
31
Contact Page
You can access the contact page by hovering your mouse over the "About" tab in the top right-hand
corner of the website, then clicking "Contact." This page introduces our founders Lindsay Owens, Abby
Lane, and Anna Yobp and explains how they met and decided to start the CAPABLE brand community.
They were inspired to work towards solving the inequalities that people with IDDs face everyday, and
CAPABLE was a result. On this page you can find contact information for our founders via phone number
and email. Providing a line of direct communication between the founders and the CAPABLE community
helps to create a sense of trust and passion within our brand.
32
Community Page
You can access the shop page by clicking the "Community" tab in the top right-hand corner of the website.
Overall, the community page provides a "hub" for all community aspects of our brand. The following pages
dive into those aspects.
Subscribe Page
You can access the subscribe page by hovering your mouse over the "Community" tab in the top right-hand
corner of the website, then clicking "Subscribe." The subscribe page of our website showcases all of the
benefits available to those who subscribe. These benefits are meant to encourage people to join the CAPABLE
community by subscribing.
Our goal is that with these

special benefits, people will
choose to subscribe and
contribute to change.
Early access to events

promotes attendance, and
increases excitement for
each CAPABLE event.
Free merchandise is a
benefit for subscribers, but
also will significantly
promote the brand.
Overall, the subscribe page

provides many incentives to
subscribe, and gives followers
more opportunities to get
involved.
33
Events Page
Our events page is accessible by hovering your mouse over the "Community" tab in the top right-hand
corner of the website, then clicking "Events." The events page of our website has a calendar of events
scheduled for that month, which are available to anyone who would like to register. These events help
to create and maintain a strong sense of community and belonging for all of our subscribers, spread
awareness for our cause, and emphasize that having an IDD does not have to limit someone.
On this page, we thoroughly describe a few

events, and provide a list of all events for the
month. We offer events ranging from social
gatherings to informational zooms so that our
community is united through having fun, but also
learning together.
34
News Page
You can access the news page by hovering your mouse over the "Community" tab in the top right-hand
corner of the website, then clicking "News." The news page of our website is frequently updated with
articles written by outside sources on topics related to our brand such as diversity, inclusivity,
disabilities, and jobs. There is a drop-down "Sort By" feature you can use to sort articles by newest,
oldest, and popularity.

Below are three example articles we included in our website prototype to demonstrate the types of
articles that would be posted on the news page.
35
Chat Page
You can access the chat page by hovering your mouse over the "Community" tab in the top right-hand
corner of the website, then clicking "Chat." The chat page of our website allows subscribers to chat
with other members in the community forum, privately chat with any of our experts on staff, or join
the mentor program to chat with your specific mentor.
You can explore the various chat options on the main chat page, or you can go directly to the specific
chat feature you desire by clicking the drop-down arrow beside "Chat" after hovering over the
"Community" tab in the top right-hand corner of the website. Then, click the feature you would like to
access .
These photos are of the main Chat page. The

rectangular boxes with either "Community
Forum," "Private Chat," or "Mentor Program" in
them are buttons. By clicking any of these
buttons, you will be taken to a subpage specific to
the feature you selected. The main Chat page is
meant to showcase and give a brief exlpanation
of each chat feature. By clicking a specific
feature, you can learn more about it and use that
chat feature.
36
Chat Page
This is what the Community

Forum feature looks like. You
can post questions, comments,
or advice for your fellow
subscribers to see and respond
to. You can also browse and
search what other people have
said.
This is what the Private Chat

feature looks like. This is a
mock private chat with our
expert Laura Whitaker.
Conversation is live and
completely private. Only you
and the expert you are
chatting with can see the
conversation. You can choose
any expert or member of the
community to chat with.
This is what the Mentor

Program feature looks like. To
enroll in the program, you must
first fill out the Mentor
Matching Form at the bottom
of the page. After being paired
with a mentor, which will be
catered to your interests, you
can message them anytime
about anything.
37
TESTING
For our testing plan, we created a survey exposing
potential users to our website prototype to see how they
responded. The questions and participant responses go as
follows...
Yes or No Questions:
Q1: Does our website 100%
immediately draw you in and
make you want to learn more?
Q2: Do you like the
layout/design of the website? 75%
Does it make sense?
Q3: Do you think the website is
easy to navigate?
Q4: Were you able to 50%
understand what the mission of
CAPABLE is?
Q5: Do you think our mission is
realistic? 25%
Q6: Do you think the CAPABLE
community and corresponding
website will make a real impact
for people with IDD's? 0%
Q7: Would you want to join the Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7
CAPABLE community?
Participant Responses
Additional Questions:
If you have any advice regarding the layout/design of the website, please share it below.
Go back to the website. What is the email address you should contact if you want to get in touch with
CAPABLE HQ?
100% of participants correctly identified the CAPABLE HQ email address
In your own words, what would you say the mission of CAPABLE is?
100% of participants correctly identified our mission
Do you have any advice for how to make our website or brand better? Any changes you recommend?
38
Participant Written Responses

Recommended Changes or Additions:
"Have people with various disabilities test our website for ease of use and appropriate
wording"
"Include all age groups and stereotypes"
"Need to have people with IDD’s input because they are the ones this whole thing truly is for!"
"Include accessibility options for people with physical disabilities (like a feature that reads the
website out loud)"
Feedback On What Our Website Does Well:

"There are not enough places in the world who genuinely focus on inclusivity, specifically for
people with disabilities."
"Knowledge is power"
"It’s a great cause and it’s well executed"
"It’s realistic"
"Goals are specific & clear with expected outcomes identified"
"You are doing something no one else is doing and by this you will create a strong foot print for
places that will follow your lead and make a difference"
"Any steps toward more inclusive society are important"
From our survey, we received positive feedback that was very encouraging
for our CAPABLE prototype. We also received several suggestions for how
to improve our website and make CAPABLE even more inclusive.

Our goal is for CAPABLE to be accessible to everyone and to make a

positive, lasting impact on the lives of people with IDDs. To maintain this
goal, we need direct feedback from people with IDDs to ensure that
CAPABLE is both sustainable and successful. This feedback is essential to
the future of CAPABLE because without it, we could lose sight of what will
truly help them and make a difference.
39
SUPPORT NEEDED
Grants
Applying to the following grants would help to fund
CAPABLE as a non-profit organization
Provides financial and technical resources to

organizations of persons with disabilities to advocate
for equal rights and full participation in society.
Makes cash grants to non-profit organizations

in support of the development, application and
use of technology by and for people with
disabilities.
Awards grants to states and organizations that

provide services and support for older adults and
people with disabilities, conduct research, and
develop innovative approaches to doing both.
Offers financial assistance to organizations

committed to improving our world.
Considers programs for developmentally
disabled people.
Non-profit organizations can ask for grants from Delta

through their charitable giving requests form.
Organizations can also request sponsorships for initiatives
and events.
40
SUPPORT NEEDED
Resources & Partnerships
Bitty & Beau's, Chick-fil-A, and Publix specifically have a history

of inclusivity in their hiring process and a desire to make a
positive change in our world.
By partnering with companies (such as these) that offer goods or
services, they can provide coupons, deals, or even free food as a
benefit for subscribing to our brand. In return, these companies
would receive free advertising and support from our
subscribers.
41
SUPPORT NEEDED
Coalition
Coalition is vital to the success of CAPABLE as a brand community. There are

three ways that coalition would support us:
Laura Whittaker, M. Ed. Michelle Chimuka Matthew Williams

CEO of Extra Special People Founder of the Sani Canadian Special Olympics
1
Foundation Athlete
Our Experts:
Hired to bring professional expertise about diversity, inclusion, and
disability to our brand.
Available to chat with subscribers in the "Private Chat" feature of our
website
Speak at certain events
2
Crucial to providing the education aspect of our brand
Our Founders:
Founded this brand because they are so passionate about its cause
Without them, there would be no CAPABLE
3
#1 resource for anything brand related
Our Subscribers:
#1 reason for starting this brand & community
Their support is how CAPABLE continues to thrive and make an impact
Crucial to providing the community and awareness aspect of our brand
42
BRINGING THE
5
IDEA TO LIFE
Parts
What it would take to get our idea
off the ground
Merchandise Production Find a producer/manufacturer

Shipping/handling company
Design Team
Marketing
Customer Base Social Media Presence

Sponsorships
Marketing
Advertising plan
Funding Apply for grants

Find shareholders/sponsors
Donations (crowdfunding)
Event Planning Hire event planner

Community outreach
Marketing
Finding venues/scheduling
Staffing Hire experts & mentors

Schedule Experts for events
43
BARRIERS
What could prevent our idea from being
successful?
Funding Following Fall Through

PROBLEM: PROBLEM: PROBLEM:
Not enough funding No social Merchandise
to pay employees momentum producer falls
Not enough funding Getting lost or through
to host events buried on the web Merchandise on
backorder or out of
SOLUTION: SOLUTION: stock
Constantly apply for Strategic marketing Event venue falls
more grants campaigns to reach through
Adapt marketing target audience
strategy to attract Events SOLUTION:
donors Word of Mouth Recieve orders
before production
Always have a back-
up plan
KEY:
Find the path of least resistance, make sure we are
putting our effort towards what will truly matter
and impact the success of our brand.
44
TIMELINE TO
LAUNCH
An 11-month timeline to launch CAPABLE
MONTH 1 MONTH 2 MONTH 3 MONTH 4 MONTH 5 MONTH 6
Apply for grants, Find Create an Create a Create and Hire, explain duties,
decide what shareholders advertising plan to donation tab on establish a social and schedule time
each portion of and sponsors to effectively target website and media following for experts to be
money would go partner with to our intended advertise how to on Facebook, available for website
towards support the audience and get donate and what Instagram, chat features and
funding. brand. our brand across. it would benefit. Twitter, and events.
TikTok.
MONTH 7 MONTH 8 MONTH 9 MONTH 10 MONTH 11
Hire and train Hire and Collaborate with Advertise Review website,
mentors for the collaborate event planner and upcoming subscription
mentor with an event staff to schedule events, launch incentives, experts,
program. planner to plan events for the of the website, mentor program
events next 3 months merchandise, and troubleshoot
pertaining to once website and the brand chat features to
our brand. launches. itself. launch website.
This is a rough estimate of the steps needed to launch CAPABLE on a schedule of 11 months to 1 year. Although this
is our estimated plan, things do not always go according to plan in the real world. This plan appears as a linear
process, but in reality, plans can move backwards, forwards, or side to side. Each step may take longer or shorter
than expected, however, we predict that the entire process leading up to the launch will take 11 months to a year
in total.

With the right support, these steps will help CAPABLE to get funded, successfully market & advertise, hire
experienced staff, plan current and future events, and ultimately launch our website. If our initial plan is
successful, CAPABLE will be set up to prosper and thrive as an effcetive brand community in the future.
45
COMMUNITY
SUPPORT
How we need you, and the rest of the community
to ensure the success of our brand
A detailed look:
Attendance
Attending our events, following our social media, and using the power of
communication, you can help spread the word about CAPABLE. Post a photo
at one of our events, take advantage of the chat features on our website,
repost our social media, or tell a friend about our brand. Why did you join?
Why is it important to you? How do you believe it will make a difference in
providing equality for those with Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities? The more people who hear about us, the more people who will
join us. The success of our brand relies on the people.
Education
One goal of our brand website is to spread awareness about the inequalities
that people with IDD's face. By interacting with our posts on social media,
reading the news articles on our website, and attending our events, you will
learn more about the biased effect of feeling included and capable in both
society and the workforce. You will also learn how you can help make a
positive change. While we can't change people's opinions about disabilities,
we can educate them to realize what should be seen as normal.
46
Donations
Our website has a donation tab for a reason. As a nonprofit, we rely on
grants, sponsors, and public donations to keep our operations up and
running. Without funds, we cannot afford to keep the brand alive. Your
donation could go towards hosting our next event, creating new
merchandise, hiring experienced staff members to educate and assist
website patrons, or getting our brand seen and heard across various
platforms with the help of advertising and marketing professionals. With
your donation, you can help impact the life of someone with an IDD. You
could help them find their dream job. You could help them feel equal and
included in a supportive community that truly values their existence and
contributions to our world.
Change
Join the CAPABLE community to reduce negative stereotypes, increase the
inclusion of people with IDD's in all communities, spread awareness, and to
be apart of something bigger. At CAPABLE, exclusion is out, and inclusion is
in. Help us create a brighter, more equal future for people with Intellectual
and Developmental Disabilities by joining the CAPABLE community because
together, we can help make a change and create a society that supports
everyone.
#HIREALLABILITIES
47
QUESTIONS?
EMAIL: CAPABLE.HQ@GMAIL.COM
48
REFERENCES
“About Us Penguin Project.” About Us -, 22 Oct. 2021, penguinproject.org/.
“Destination Dawgs .” J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, 25 Oct. 2021, www.fanning.uga.edu/programs/destination-dawgs-
summer-leadership-
institute/#:~:text=Destination%20Dawgs%20is%20the%20University,program%20that%20began%20January%202017.&text=Students%20
will%20audit%20UGA%20courses,plans%20supported%20by%20peer%20mentors.
“Facts about Intellectual Disability in Children.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 Aug.
2021, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts-about-intellectual-disability.html.
Henin, Aude, and Noah Berman. “The Promise and Peril of Emerging Adulthood: Introduction to the Special Issue.” Cognitive and Behavioral Practice,
Elsevier, 10 June 2016, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1077722916300359.
“Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).” Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 4 Nov. 2021, sites.ed.gov/idea/.
Information Staff, Annual Reports. “Students with Disabilities.” Coe - Students with Disabilities, May 2021, nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg.
Kim, Sarah. “The Truth of Disability Employment That No One Talks About.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 Oct. 2019,
www.forbes.com/sites/sarahkim/2019/10/24/sub-minimum-wages-disability/?sh=6ecbc759c22b.
Labor Statistics, Bureau. “2020 - Bureau of Labor Statistics.” PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY: LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS — 2020, Feb.
2021, www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf.
“Protecting Students with Disabilities.” Home, 10 Jan. 2020, www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html.
Rowe, Claudia. “What Happens to Special Needs Students after High School?” The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times Company, 13 Jan. 2016,
www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/what-happens-to-special-needs-students-after-high-school/.
Ryan, Frances. “Looking for Work with a Learning Disability: 'You Feel like a Failure'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 8 May 2017,
www.theguardian.com/careers/2017/may/08/looking-for-work-with-a-learning-disability-you-feel-like-a-failure.
Slater, Dashka. “The Journey to Life after High School .” Ability Path, 2020, abilitypath.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/life-after-high-school.pdf.
UGA, FACS. “Advancing Employment.” Advancing Employment | Employment | Projects | Institute on Human Development and Disability , 2021,
www.fcs.uga.edu/ihdd/advancing-employment.
“Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act.” United States Department of Labor, 2021, www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa.
“What Is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?” ADA National Network, 14 Dec. 2021, adata.org/learn-about-ada.
“Who We Are.” Advancing Employment, 2021, www.advancingemployment.com/who-we-are.
Wong, Alia. “How to Escape the Disability Trap.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 15 June 2016,
www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/06/escaping-the-disability-trap/487070/.

Final Project Report

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Final Project Report

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Final Project Report

The CAPABLE Community

Abby Lane, Anna Yobp, & Lindsay Owens

03 The Problem 39 Support Needed

04 Original Research 42 Bringing the Idea to Life

12 Survey 44 Timeline To Launch

14 Need Statement 45 Community Support

15 Ideation 47 Questions & Contact

18 Big Ideas 48 References

"80% of adults with intellectual and

What are Introduction

Low Graduation Rates & Figure 1

In addition, as seen in Figure 1, graduation rates for

Final Project Report

Individuals With Disabilities

IDEA is a law that was passed in 1975

In our research, we found there are many programs

Subminimum Wages Ableism

An estimated 420,000 individuals with Digging deeper, we found a lot of evidence

Christopher Burns is a 40 year old living in the

Hayden Keen is is a KSU college graduate, and

Amy Wright is the mom of 4

Lele is a graduate from “It’s important to feel

and Alumni Cookie Dough. "My mission is to spread

"My dream job is to

Final Project Report

Q: What is Best Buddies?

Q: Tell me about Kinzey

Q: What was her school program like?

Q: What kind of programs did her school provide?

Q: Do they feel welcome in society, especially in the

Q: Do you think restrictions would be hurtful?

Q: How can we help them feel valued and needed in society?

Equal Career Opportunities?

If so many people said no or sometimes, why

Left chart: Do you have a job or

How do you identify with the following statements?

It is interesting that the majority of people disagree that people with

Participants believed that people with IDD’s can be a part of the

People with IDDs need a

We came up with this need statement because through all of our

They are discriminated against simply because they have a

Our main goals of ideation were to:

After brainstorming ideas that would accomplish the goals listed

After revisiting our need statement, we realized that the

We examined our ideas in each theme and came up with

Diversity Training Brand community

Available for any Build united

A brand community is a place where people who

We are doing this by building a community, making

We found it to be a reasonable and effective way of

Realize how Reduce

In turn, we deemed it necessary to revise our original need statement,

"Society needs to be educated on IDDs to

Website Will Have: Website Design:

Companies that Brand Community

By tackling the issues of lack of awareness,

In order to do this, we created a high-fidelity prototype of our website

Scan me! Our Logo

As a non-profit organization, we strongly welcome donations from those

Our goal is that with these

Early access to events

Overall, the subscribe page