Hello Friends!

Wow, another eventful month in the books – and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down in May!

On the personal side, I was recently appointed to Governor Josh Stein’s newly formed Accessibility Commission in North Carolina. On the professional side, my goal of launching an AI training program for people who are blind and low vision finally came to fruition!

It’s hard to believe that nine years ago, I first heard about accessibility and was trying to chase down Ed Summers – without any luck. But here we are today! I just grabbed coffee with Ed over the weekend at the very Starbucks where we first met, as we prepared for the 4th Annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) event we host in the Raleigh-Durham area. This year’s event will take place on the SAS Campus on May 21st (Get your tickets and join us!)!

Honestly, it’s hard to believe the turnaround in my life over the past decade — and every day I am so grateful.

One of the things I’m most grateful for has been the amazing relationships I’ve been able to develop. That includes my dear friendship with Lindsay Wrege and Michael Evans, who founded 321 Coffee.

For those of you who don’t know, 321 Coffee is a Raleigh-based business that employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities while also delivering a high-quality product – the happiest cup of coffee in the world! Lindsay and Michael started this business out of their friendship with three very special young women who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, and they turned what began as a hobby into an amazingly successful company that now employs over 50 people working as baristas and coffee roasters.

At the end of April, the 321 Coffee team accomplished something that Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies dream of — getting their product on the shelves of Costco! 321 Coffee is a perfect example of how businesses can do good — and do well. I’m so proud of Lindsay and Michael, and the culture they’ve built. They dream big and don’t let anything stop them from achieving their goals. They are well on their way to reaching their goal of one million hours of meaningful work for people with disabilities – and that’s a goal I will support every single day (one cup at a time.)

So, as I wrap up, if you’re in the Triangle area, please head over to your local Costco, pick up a bag of 321 Coffee, and help my friends become a permanent fixture on those shelves – creating even more employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Also, please sign up for and share our newsletter with your friends and check out my latest blog posts! We’re starting a new series called “Ask the Blind Guy for Directions,” where I’ll be answering questions people have about living with blindness and sharing my thoughts and guidance.

Taking a page out of Lindsay and Michael’s playbook, I’m setting a lofty goal of reaching 1,000 newsletter subscribers — which seems impossible today, but I know that with hard work and great friendships, I’ll get there. Thank you in advance for your support!

All the best,

John