A pizza place staffed by people with disabilities takes off after dealing with hate

Pizzability in Denver, CO has delicious pizza and equally outstanding employees. Run by former special education teacher Tiffany Fixter, the restaurant is staffed by people with disabilities. Yet not everyone finds it appealing, as local TV reporter Tori Mason discovered after an interview with the owner. As she shared on social media:

"Pizzability is a restaurant that hires workers with special needs. The owner tells me people stand outside and say they're afraid to come in. People walk past and say 'that's where the retards work.' The employees can hear them. Please give them your business and your tolerance."

Mind-boggling awful, right? A lot of people agreed. The post has been shared more than 6000 times and people have been flocked to the restaurant, which has been open since December. "There are days where we sell two slices of pizza," Fixter said. "We've never been so busy. I'm exhausted, but it's great."

Previously, Fixter started Brewability Lab in Denver, a brewery that employs and trains adults with intellectual disability for job opps in the beer business. "I realized there's an employment crisis for adults with developmental disabilities," she told Diverseability Magazine. "I wanted to try to solve that."

Over at Pizzability, there's a visual menu that's available in braille. There's also a sensory corner with noise-cancelling headphones, adaptive utensils, cups and plates and a quiet room in the back for employees who need it. There's a reason the restaurant was honored as one of 50 Game Changers by the Special Olympics.

Pizzability is located at 250 Steele Street #108 in Denver. Stop by if you're in the hood! I especially liked the reporter's subsequent suggestion: "Take all your blind/Tinder dates here. If they say anything remotely rude, go to the bathroom and never come back. (Just make sure you eat your pizza first)."

Pizza wins. Inclusion wins. Love wins. 

Image: Facebook/Pizzability