One in four of us has a disability.

“When you walk into my shop, you're not going to know 100% of the time if there's someone with a disability or not,” Sonia says. “And I think people need to understand that, not be so judgmental and just be kind.”

People with and without disabilities work the same counter, the same register, the same scoops. Everyone learns from everyone — including Sonia, who is quick to say her team teaches her.

Not everyone holds a scoop the same way. It turns out that's fine.

How it works

The Texas Workforce Commission sends job coaches who train employees with disabilities on specific tasks — a service the state provides, and one most employers never look into. Evelyn Cano and Esmer Leal at the Disability Chamber of Commerce RGV pointed Sonia toward it.

Deborah Tomai, whose son has Down syndrome, put it to Sonia plainly: “We want inclusion. We want our children working with people of all abilities.”