Consumer demand can be a powerful force. A recent report by VISA suggests that the majority of American shoppers are planning to buy gifts from small and medium-sized businesses. Consider supporting the disability community with your wallet this holiday season.
We asked our Diversability community about their favorite disability owned shops, and have highlighted a few below.
Accessibility
- Dazzling Deaf Cochlear Implant Skins – Dazzling Deaf has all you need to dress up your cochlear implant with some cool designs!
- AlonTree Rehabilitation Devices and Equipment for Stroke Survivors – AlonTree Company helps individuals increase their quality of life by designing and providing stroke recovery devices that are easy-to-use, affordable, and attractive.
Apparel
- Safe Place Art – Safe Place Art uses upcycled materials to create hair scrunchies.
- Claiming Disability Apparel– Claiming Disability Inc pledges to help all people with disabilities feel seen and heard through clothing and accessories that help build confidence and create connections. They say, “We want people to wear their differences like a badge of honor!”
- SHONA Congo Bags – SHONA Congo Bags sells African bags, purses, and even a book that tells the story of women who have navigated through war and refugee camps on crutches, and who now are building their own business.
- Jaded Local – Jaded Local sells eco-friendly hair accessories. They also give you the option to decorate your own denim jacket!
- Crafting 4 A Cause – Crafting 4 A Cause’s mission is “to utilize our crafting skills to help benefit the Rare Disease Community. We have a variety of handcrafted items including hand stamped MyIntent bracelets*, personally commissioned pieces of jewelry, natural healing stone pieces, hand-stamped charms, and an array of paper and vinyl crafts. including hand-stamped cards, bookmarks, key fobs, and vinyl cutouts for decals or clothing.”
- John’s Crazy Socks – John’s Crazy Socks is a father-son social enterprise inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks, or what he calls his “crazy socks.”
- Mighty Well – Mighty Well provides adaptive clothing, especially PICC line covers!
Art
- Jeanne Fry Art – Jeanne says,“I am a Contemporary Folk and Visionary Artist from the Blue Ridge Mountains. My Passion is to Explore the Spirit of Art, and the Art of Spirit. I consider Art to be Healing, and create with Emotional and Spiritual Connection. Each piece carries meaningful symbolism for me. I place a high importance on Creating, as I use it as a healing vehicle for myself, as a Lupus Warrior and Amputee.”
- Windy Elliot-Vandivier Art – Wendy Elliott-Vandivier bio says, “she has been making art and mischief since she was a young child growing up in Philadelphia. In college, she majored in sculpture and staged a funeral of a disabled poster child to lay stereotypes of pity and helplessness firmly to rest. Her paintings explore issues of family, memory and experiences as a disabled woman. Her autobiographical cartoons focus on attitudinal barriers and stereotypes regarding disabilities, and some of the micro-aggressions that disabled people experience while living normal, un-inspirational lives. She is also a photographer of micro-scale monuments in nature, and is often inspired by close-up images that people often do not notice in daily life – tree bark, dead leaves, flower anatomy, and water.”
- Rana Awadallah – Rana says, ”I’m 25 years old and I was born and raised in New York. I am a black disabled artist. I mainly work with digital art on my iPad and create art about chronic illness, mental health, and self love.”
Home Goods
- Eco Local – Eco Local provides reusable paper towels for green homes.
- Nicer Slicer – The website states, “This unique kitchen tool does one thing very well. It slices certain foods into 2 thin vertical slices. It lets you create thin bread and bagel slices for sandwiches and appetizers. It also enables you to cut boneless chicken breasts into cutlets, thick ham slices, and hamburger patties into slices quickly and safely.”
Need more ideas of disability-owned shops to support? We’ve loved Words I Wheel By and Chicagoland Entrepreneurship Education for People with Disabilities (CEED)’s 2020 Disability Holiday Gift Guide.