Ryan Vail is a 21-year-old man with Down Syndrome who is set to graduate from school. As the milestone approached, his parents, Jim and Rose Vail of Delaware County, wanted to prepare a future for their son. Neither Jim nor Rose Vail had experience in the coffee industry. Jim Vail worked in co nstruction while Rose worked in the medical field.   This unfamiliarity did not hold the Vails back, as they successfully opened Ryan’s Rise Up Cafe in Glenn Mills, Pennsylvania, in April 2026. A few months later, not only does Ryan work at the cafe but also 60 other young adults with disabilities. “In the past, they were just seeing disability, and now they’re seeing these young adults with their abilities and what their goals are,” said Jim Vail.   According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 22% of people with disabilities were employed in 2025, compared to 65% of people who didn’t have a disability.   “We just hold on to what to that piece, what we’re really doing for,” Rose Vail said. “And if the coffee is good, that’s a plus.” ...read more read less