Rethinking Disabilities: Let's Focus on Strengths, Not Limitations
Why everyone deserves the chance to connect, contribute, and thrive in our community.
Mar 23, 2025
Written by our Founder and CEO, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
Growing up with my brother Kevin, who has a developmental disability, I experienced firsthand his kindness and limitless love. He’s always had a sharp sense of humor, an infectious enthusiasm for his favorite hobbies (and the Mets), and a deep desire to make friends.
Yet, I also noticed that many outside our family see only his disability, failing to recognize the richness of his personality and the ways he contributes to the lives of those around him.
As he grew older, this misperception led to challenges like finding a job, forging friendships, and fully experiencing the opportunities that so many take for granted. Kevin’s story isn’t unique. Millions of Americans have disabilities. They have the talent, drive, and heart to succeed, but they continue to face barriers rooted in outdated beliefs and stigmas.
Each of us has the power to do something about it — starting with recognizing and overcoming our preconceptions. That’s why Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March and similar occasions throughout the year are so important. They remind us to focus on people’s abilities instead of limitations.
Celebrating action
This awareness month also provides an opportunity to spotlight people who are breaking down barriers and making a difference in the community.
One such story involves the Fetherman family, whom I recently hosted on my Celebrate Your Story podcast. Their journey began with the birth of Michael, who, from an early age, exhibited signs that set him apart from his peers. Michael, who is autistic, struggled to make friends.
Witnessing her brother's loneliness, Michael’s sister Juliana took action. She created an app, Making Authentic Friendships, to help people (ages 13+) with special needs make friends based on age, diagnosis, interests, and location.
The app today has nearly 9,000 users across all 50 states and 75 countries, highlighting the need for such a platform. Its success underscores the impact that innovative solutions and persistence can have in bridging gaps for those with disabilities.
The mission of Smile Farms
The Fetherman family’s story resonates with me because my family has walked a similar path. Inspired by Kevin, we founded Smile Farms in 2015. Its mission is to create meaningful job opportunities in agriculture and hospitality for people with special needs.
Our thinking, however, wasn’t just focused on helping people like Kevin earn a paycheck, though that’s important. As anyone with a job will say, work instills a sense of purpose, builds friendships, and provides a place to belong.
No one should be denied this opportunity. By creating pathways for inclusion, we can break down barriers and ensure that individuals with disabilities have the same chance to thrive as anyone else.
Change occurs when individuals are provided with the tools and opportunities to succeed. Across Smile Farms’ 13 campuses, we see this transformation every day. One remarkable example is Sonia James, Smile Farms’ 2024 Farmer of the Year.
Sonia's story
Sonia’s journey with Smile Farms began as part of her recovery at Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital. Today, she works at our Catholic Health Smile Farms campus, where the produce cultivated is donated to Mercy Hospital’s Family Care Program, helping those facing food insecurity.
Sonia’s dedication and hard work not only benefit the community but also highlight the transformative power of meaningful employment. She summed up her experience beautifully as she accepted her award last November:
“We grow as a team and as friends. This award isn’t just mine — it’s a celebration of what we can achieve when we work together."
Stories like Sonia’s and Michael’s underscore the importance of creating avenues for individuals with disabilities to fully participate in society. Whether through employment or social networks, these opportunities do more than provide jobs and connections. They offer dignity, purpose, and the invaluable gift of friendship.
This month, and every month, let’s commit to breaking down barriers and making sure that everyone has the chance to contribute, connect, and thrive.
All the best,
Jim
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AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder, CEO, and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
