On July 11, Zach McDonald cut the ribbon at the grand opening event of JavaAbilities, officially opening the coffee shop.
It’s not just another coffee shop. JavaAbilities employs people with disabilities, offering critical job opportunities for adults like McDonald, who has Down syndrome.
For co-owners Tim McDonald (Zach’s dad and the founder of the Madison Area Down Syndrome Society, which is now combined with the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin) and Mary Kay Clark (the founder of AchieveAbilities, a Monona-based nonprofit helping individuals with disabilities gain employment), the opening is the culmination of years spent advocating for increased opportunities for disabled people…