This is a disability gift guide. That means that was follows is a long list of people with disabilities, their allies and families who make things that you can buy.
This list is meant for anytime, not just the holiday season, because there is no time like the present for gift giving, is there?!
There are no affiliate links in this post.
This list far from complete.
There are a lot of fantastic businesses that should be mentioned but I didn’t have the links or I didn’t know about them. So please, do me a favor and leave the links to artists and businesses that I’ve missed in the comment section of this post
I’ve organized this gift guide for disability into three categories to make your shopping a little easier, according to who you most want to support.
1. Gifts Made by People with Disabilities
Haley Brown –I adore Haley. She has this awesome tee for the badasses in your life (including you!), beautiful drawings, cards, prints and this “Coping Calendar” which I have ordered for the past 4 years and can’t speak highly enough of.
The Nth Degree : Thoughtful, thought-provoking clothes, bumper stickers, pins and posters representing the disability spectrum (like this t-shirt that model Christina Mills wears, saying “Feel the Power of the Disability Vote!”
Troy Made It: Pottery! Follow him on Instagram (click here) for updates. He has a shop on Etsy that sells out fast (so stay tuned!)
Allie Art: Holy Mother of WOW! Allie’s art is gorgeous! Vibrant, color-rich and reasonably-priced. She has jewelry, too.
Oliver Hellowell Photography – Gorgeous photos. Lots of nature-shots.
Disability Visibility Project Swag! This is stuff that is made by someone with a disability and it’s all going to support the Disability Visibility Project which is awesome-sauce.
Alana Designs: Lovely prints and cards that she made. Her drawing is amazing in its delicacy and detail.
Creativity Explored: a disabled artists collective website, with multiple artists featured and opportunities to shop their work (this is a site you want to bookmark, it’s so comprehensive and brilliant).
Blind Mice Mega Mall: a site designed specifically for blind/low vision people that has tons of blind-owned stores within.
Gateway Arts: another disabled artists collective website, with multiple artists featured and opportunities to shop their work – definitely another bookmark-worthy place!
Andy Meredith Photography: I really love his work, all black and white photography (and follow him on Instagram). Shop at his site, linked here
My Imagiville, DJ Svobada is autistic. He creates this alternate-world, “Imagiville” with different kinds of people in it. He sells all kinds of super-cool things on his site.
Christian Royal Pottery: Oh. My. Lord. Wait till my mom sees his stuff!! Ma, you are going to LOVE THIS!!!! Gorgeous, gorgeous pottery. Those leaves?! The designs? Brilliant! I think his slogan should be, “Stoneware with Impeccable Charm.”
Mindie Lind – Musician with photography and videos on her site as well as music for purchase
Tazia Fawley – She makes cut-outs and paintings that are simply vibrant and bursting with energy. She is also the famous artist who gave Prince George one of her paintings, which was displayed in his nursery.
Suzy Norris- Powerful art. Suzy’s stuff comes with a money-back satisfaction guarantee, and most of her art is available in any form: phone case, t-shirt, print, poster, etc.
Artlifting – Dreamy, often abstract art from the brilliant Andrew Weatherly. He has a wide collection of everything from rainbow swirls to sunrises.
Megalogy – Megan Bomgaars is one of my favorites from the hit series, “Born This Way,” because she reminds me a lot of my daughter, Moxie. She is also a total rockstar of creative awesomeness, selling everything from her hand-dyed silk scarves to yoga pants. Also! She has a new collection in collaboration with Sanrio (- Hello Kitty!!) which is super exciting. Be sure to check it out.
Sophiola: vibrant, colorful prints, cards and paintings
MVB Printmaker – Truly lovely handbound journals, sketchbooks and books. Neat clasps, cords and ways to close them. Also, mini-books.
Sweet Heat Jams – Pineapple and Jalepano jam?! Don’t mind if I do. This stuff sounds divine. If that’s not your cuppa tea, there’s a lot more for ya on the site shop.
Healing Boxes – Remember when I interviewed Grace Quantock? Of course you do! She’s the driving force behind the rad “Healing Boxes”, which offer “delightful, practical and ethically filled gift boxes for people dealing with illness or tough times.” They have all kinds of boxes – from “Hospital Boxes” to boxes for those recently engaged in Traumatic Brain Injury.
This is an organization that helps empower youth and others with disabilities. They have a fantastic online gift shop, chock-full of great stuff like books related to the disability rights movement, disability pride and power. Check it out.
- DuncanAnnas: ‘Gimp Girls/Dances With Wheels co-op store where proceeds go towards maintenance of chairs for those who professions are made possible through the independence of their equipment.’
- Michaela’s Things Cross Stitch Shoppe: cross-stitch art
- Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates: chocolate, coffee, tea, even granola and nuts!
- DK Arts: greeting cards and prints
- Heather Rivera: she writes books (see them all on Amazon) and makes jewelry on Etsy!
- Downright Charming: lovely quilts made by Sarah
- The Latest Kate: positive, cute, feel-good stuff
- Knotty Boy Crochet: weird, wild and whack!
Wendy Elliott-Vandivier: absolutely lovely “cartoons” – I feel weird calling them cartoons because they are more like gorgeous illustrations about things that are very disability-specific. This is art that is about us, by us, and I love it.
T-Shirts:
- By Mara – cool-ass Deaf love t-shirts
- Tee-Public, by Mike Mort – super awesome t-shirts that go across the disability spectrum, something for everyone
- Group Hug Apparel – t-shirt company run by Andrew, who has Down syndrome
- “My Other Disability is A Bad Attitude” – play on inspiration porn by Criptique – buy it here
- Seanese – Sean, from “Born This Way” has his own line of bad-ass shirts (I want them all!)
- Autistic Viking – I love the “Here’s Your Quiet Hands” shirt!
- Human Needs Are Not “Special”
2. Gifts Made by Allies, Friends and Family of People with Disabilities
Small businesses that are run by allies of the disabled – namely, friends and family of the disabled
- Adaptions by Adrian: This came very highly recommended by wheelchair-using people who use adaptive clothing. The goods look so cool: functional, cute, with lots of accessories!
- 4Peace Art: Two little girls – sisters of a young boy with Down syndrome – sell cards on Etsy and a portion of profit is donated to NDSC.
- Kroc Co Paper Shop: All things paper! Super fun
- Mighty Moose Alters: Very exciting shop: the mom modifies backpacks, purses, and diaper bags to accommodate feeding tubes, and is slowly getting into adaptive clothing as well – YESSSSS!
- Cristina’s Tortina Shop: cupcakes, cakes & speciality treats made by a mom of an individual with Down syndrome, and who hires people with Down syndrome.
- Reason to Bake: gluten free morsels of cookie deliciousness
- Dreamer’s Coffee: Coffee distribution company run mostly by parents of individuals with Down syndrome, selling coffee & coffee-accompanying products. Here’s a link to Crumley Dreamer’s Coffee and here is one to Dawn’s Dreamer’s Coffee
- Loving Memories Floral and Repurposed Designs: Lovely shadow boxes, wind chimes, repurposed art.
- Beccability Bakery: Handmade marshmallows, shipped anywhere. Yum.
- Mom & Me Designer Wreaths: Beautiful wreaths for every occasion and season.
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Gracie’s Doggie Delights: healthy dog treats. No additives ever.
- Jack’s Bar and Grill & Steamer’s Coffeehouse: jam, jelly, pie filling and gift baskets. This stuff looks delicious.
- Sassy Fras Design: vinyl, embroidery and handcrafted design (including things like unicorn embroidered shirts!!!).
- Handmade Weighted Blankets: all kinds of handmade weighted blankets, with all kinds of fabrics.
- Designer Do Over: E-bay store selling used/new clothing and shoes
- Cloth Diaper Outlet: all your cloth diapering needs (including gently used diaper covers!) and more
- Creekside Cookies: fruit and cookies!
- Waggies by Maggie & Friends – dog treats made by people with Intellectual Disabilities
- Imperfect Creations: quilts and embroidery
- 321Joy: apparel for babies, kids and adults
- Ry’s Ties: socks and ties; pretty cool!
T-Shirts:
- Reeve’s Tees
- Kale Chips Apparel: t-shirts and more
3. Gifts by Businesses That Hire People with Disabilities
I’ve been buying this stuff for my kids for a while now, so imagine my delight when I found out that Aaron is a large employer of people with disabilities?! Rock on. Moxie’s favorite is the neon pink. Of course.
Arc Barks Dog Treats
The Big Guns:
Ever want to know what businesses have a good track record with disability?
That is, that recruit, hire and retain employees with disabilities, that support accommodation and more?
Check out the Return on Disability Group.
They have deeply analyzed almost every aspect of employment and disability within major firms, and make it easy for you to decide where you want your money to go.
Added to that, they cover both the United States and Canada.
If you know of more great entrepreneurs with disabilities or ally businesses to bookmark, know about and/or support, PLEASE leave the link in the comments of this post so that everyone can benefit.
Thank you.
You Can Buy My Photos (& Keep These Kinds of Posts Coming!) I sell many of my photos on my photography website, Meriah Snaps (or Meriahs Naps! haha)
You can also order things like canvas and metal prints, phone cases, and cool stuff like that. Just click the link below to go to my photo website.
Alternatively, if you subscribe as a Patron, you will get free downloads every month! Be a Patron
- photo credit: Philippe Put new room via photopin(license)
- photo credit: 藍川芥 aikawake Play Mud #2 via photopin(license)
- photo credit: Niranjan Ramesh Happy Kids via photopin(license)
- photo credit: malone545 Hi, Everyone! via photopin(license)
Meriah Nichols is a counselor. Solo mom to 3 (one with Down syndrome, one on the spectrum). Deaf, and neurodiverse herself, she’s a gardening nerd who loves cats, Star Trek, and takes her coffee hot and black.
Hi there, I am a small business that hires intellectually challenged adults and I have an adult son with disabilities that was born with them. How do I get to be listed? I also give back a percentage to charity.
HI – just send me the link to your business and a short blurb about what you do: meriahnichols@gmail.com
Thanks!
5 FIVE REASONS TO GIVE TO CHARITY
1 GIVING TO CHARITY MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. Donating to charity is a major mood-booster. …
2 GIVING TO CHARITY STRENGTHENS PERSONAL VALUES. …
3 GIVING IS MORE IMPACTFUL THAN EVER. …
4 GIVING TO CHARITY INTRODUCES YOUR CHILDREN TO THE IMPORTANCE OF GENEROSITY. …
5 GIVING TO CHARITY ENCOURAGES FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO DO THE SAME.
In this corona time our people in kerala also suffering too much , the products made by us also not
sold out . Suffering big trouble . So we also started a online store – homelyenabled.org help us to
live..Thanks a lot
Hello! I run a project where creatives around the world disabled by ME/CFS can sell their creations, called the Chronic Market. I would love to be considered for inclusion in your holiday gift guide. Our website is chronic.market. Thanks!
Visionaries + Voices in Cincinnati supports a large number of artists. Right now I can’t find individual portfolios online, but there are many talented artists. Just to give you a taste….
https://visionariesandvoices.com/product-category/merchandise/
I actually went to an event there about a month ago and bought a few items.
Thank you so much for this kind of post. I аm very thinking about what you have to say. I will probably be back to see what other stuff you post.
https://viswaonlinetrainings.com/courses/sccm-online-training/
We would love to be included! We sell hot sauce whose peppers are grown by people with disabilities. Here is some info: Heat with Heart hot sauce is made up entirely of peppers grown by our people with disabilities. They grow and tend the sweet and hot peppers over six Smile Farms campus locations. Over 250 Smile Farmers derive valuable educational, vocational and paid employment opportunities from this pepper project. Since 2019, we have planted, tended & harvested over 5,478 pounds of peppers made into 17,025 bottles of hot sauce. Our Farmers experience pride in knowing that what they are growing is being put into a tangible product. The link to purchase is https://smilefarms.org/heatwithheart Thank you!