By David Triana

Sources: Various internet sites and Perfect Blend Coffee Company website

According to recent statistics, it is estimated that fewer than 1 in 6 adults on the Autism Spectrum have full-time work. According to the National Autism Indicators Report from Drexel University (August 2021), less than 16% of those polled for the report had full-time paid work, while only 32% had paid work of any kind. Of those working, 51% insisted their skills are higher than what their current job offers, and most interestingly, 77% of those who are unemployed say they want to work.

Fortunately, a growing number of small businesses, large companies and vast corporations are realizing the value of hiring neurodiverse individuals. Some of those large companies leading the way include AMC Theaters, Chevron, CVS Caremark, The Home Depot, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Lowe’s, Microsoft, Office Max, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart to name a few.

For those on the Autism spectrum who want to work, this shift in general corporate thinking is positive and there is certainly much more progress that needs to be made!

With April being Autism Awareness Month, it is wonderful to know that there is a small business in our area whose owners are on a personal mission to make a difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

The Perfect Blend Coffee Company is located in Navarre, Florida. Its purpose is “more than just serving a cup of coffee”, it is a movement to help raise awareness about the need to have more employment opportunities, via local small businesses, for adults with disabilities.

The company is owned by Chris and Kalli Clement. Their son has Autism and he was their inspiration for starting it. For many years, Chris dreamt about owing a coffee shop and with Kalli being a speech therapist, they figured “what could be better than creating one that focused on employing teens and adults with special needs!”

“Chris and I are hoping to help change our community for the better with our business”, stated Kalli in a recent Facebook post in her company’s page.

Although they opened last year during the world-wide pandemic, The Perfect Blend Coffee Company currently has seven employees who have a variety of intellectual and developmental disabilities. According to Kalli, the local community has really embraced their business.

Chris and Kalli’s primary goal is to help their employees be as successful as possible and they also hope that in the near future, their shop can help train others on how to incorporate employees with disabilities into their businesses.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As the parent of a young adult with autism and knowing that many teens and adults with disabilities are fully employable, I can attest to the importance of the business community working to provide more employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

We invite our readers to support this wonderful business and help Chris and Kalli be successful, it is only by seeing companies that employ individuals with disabilities succeed, that more and more small, medium and large corporations will see the incredible benefits of doing likewise.