1) Café Blends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H-P0L3sHlg

Café Blends provides employment opportunities to those on the autism spectrum. Partnered with the nonprofit organization, Nobis Works, Café Blends was created to provide job training and employment for people with disabilities. This YouTube video explains the café’s mission and shows how effective it is through on-the-job footage and testimonials from those that work closely with the café. Café Blends is currently located within four car dealerships in Georgia and South Carolina, and it is looking to grow. Autism is defined as a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication, and by restricted, repetitive or stereotyped behavior. In the video, an employee explains that working at Café Blends is a very good experience because the café always tries to create a warm and relaxing work environment for its employees. This is a very admirable and successful venture that should set a standard for similar organizations or people that are looking to help bridge the gap between people with disabilities and the work force. This video is a positive media source because it encourages action and growth in our society by setting a good example.

2) The Michael J. Fox Show

The Michael J. Fox Show is a new sitcom about a famous news anchor named Mike Henry (played by Michael J. Fox) who is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and has to leave work to tend to his health and family only to return to work five years later. The show centers on his struggle to perform his job with Parkinson’s. This is one of the most recent examples of disabilities in the workplace in the popular media. Parkinson’s disease is defined as a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The main symptoms are caused by the death of dopamine-generating cells in the midbrain. People with Parkinson’s generally shake, move slow, and have problems walking in the early stages. It is possible that later in the life of the disease, thinking and behavior problems like dementia may arise. Depression is also a key symptom to Parkinson’s. You can see how trying to return to news broadcasting must be difficult for someone with the disease. The show tackles serious issues, while remaining light-hearted. The Michael J. Fox Show is a great example of how people with disabilities can be determined and successful in the working world. People with disabilities don’t have to just sit back and believe that they useless to society. The message is, if you can be a successful news broadcaster with Parkinson’s, no disease or disability should hold someone back from doing what they love.