Beyond Inclusion & Pay-A-Kid In Charlotte

June 27, 2024 | 0 Comments

Four young professionals representing Beyond Inclusion and Pay-A-Kid attended an employment conference recently in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The event was hosted by the Association of People Supporting Employment [APSE], an organisation that promotes Employment First – a movement prioritising meaningful employment, living wages and career advancement opportunities for individuals with support needs.

Bermuda was represented by Rebecca Lawrence and Brianna Ball-Roach, the co-founders of Beyond Inclusion, Ci’re Bean, the founder of Pay-A-Kid, and Christopher Bean, director of operations for Pay-A-Kid and board chairperson for Beyond Inclusion.

Beyond Inclusion is a new organisation dedicated to bridging the gap within opportunities available for individuals of all ages with support needs; meanwhile, Pay-A-Kid is a charity that provides employment and development opportunities to students aged 14-18 to prevent and reduce anti-social behaviour, crime, and gang activity.

The theme of the conference was “Navigating Tomorrow Together” – a three-day event filled with insightful keynote speakers and breakout sessions focused on various aspects of Employment First.

Among the highlights for the local contingent was visiting Bitty & Beau’s, a coffee shop chain in North America founded by parents of two children with Down Syndrome.

A spokesperson said: “Their tagline is that Bitty & Beau’s is a ‘a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop,’ which they developed to ensure their children and others like them would have employment opportunities once they became of age.

“We had the opportunity to participate in a meet and greet with staff which included individuals with support needs, and even got to stick a pin for Bermuda on their wall mural map to show where their customers are visiting from.

“Witnessing their inclusive standard operating processes, widespread accessibility, and supportive environment was truly heart-warming and inspirational for our team.

“Seeing it in person, reaffirmed that Employment First principles work and are very possible to put into practice. “

Sponsorship was provided by the CV Zuill Scholarship Committee, Chris Maybury, WTW, Sugar Rush Cakes, Carey Olsen, and APSE.

Beyond Inclusion: www.beyondinclusionbda.com/beyondinclusionbda@gmail.com

Pay-A-Kid: www.payakid.bm/payakid.bm@gmail.com

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