Ramble on Pearl: Employment for People with Disabilities

An apprenticeship at Ramble, an outdoor clothing store on Pearl street in Boulder, gives adults with disabilities a chance to play counting games, practice interviews skills and gain real job experience.

Connie and Andy Mindin, founders of Ramble on Pearl, have a daughter Kendra with developmental disabilities, but speaking with Kendra’s friends at a rec program gave Connie the idea for the store.

“I was talking with a lot of her friends that attend the basketball, and I was asking them what they did during the day…” Mindin was shocked to discover that Kendra’s peers spent their time watching TV and playing video games.

Connie’s conversations reflect a larger trend: people with disabilities are not in the workforce. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 17.6 percent of persons with disabilities were employed compared to 64 percent of persons without a disability in 2013.

The Mindins hope that an apprenticeship at their Boulder store will give these young people skills that will help them find long term employment.