ACBDD Special Edition: New Community & Career Exploration launched

Below is an excerpt from the ACBDD’s 2026 Special Edition, which is produced in partnership with Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and The Post. The full edition can be found here.

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By Finn Smith

From the rich smell of freshly brewed coffee at Brenen’s Coffee Café to the hands-on creativity of a local print shop, Athens County youth are discovering what their community has to offer through the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Community & Career Exploration program.

Launched last summer, Community & Career Exploration is designed for youth ages 14 to 21 with developmental disabilities, providing them with guided opportunities to explore local businesses, public spaces and career pathways while building confidence, independence and practical life skills.

“For many young people with developmental disabilities, navigating the community and preparing for employment doesn’t always come naturally,” said Arian Smedley, Assistant Superintendent with the ACBDD. “This program intentionally bridges that gap by helping students understand their community and envision themselves as active participants in it.”

Developed through the ACBDD’s Integrate Athens initiative, Community & Career Exploration expanded upon a previous summer employment program that focused solely on employment experiences for youth. Staff recognized that many participants first needed exposure to community resources and real-world experiences before employment could be successful.

“We saw a lack of understanding of some pretty important community resources,” Smedley said. “Community and Career Exploration allows students to build that foundation while also learning what work environments can look like.”

Throughout the program, participants engaged in structured experiences aimed at strengthening independence and career readiness. Activities included a mock voting experience at the Athens County Board of Elections and a visit to Ohio University’s Schoonover Center for Communication, where students practiced professional presentation by taking headshots in the public photo booth.

A core component of Community & Career Exploration is its strong partnership with local businesses. According to Autumn Brown, Director of Integrate Athens, 12 Athens-area businesses collaborated with the ACBDD to provide interactive learning opportunities, including the Athens Community Center, Bagel Street Deli, Bakery323 and Zonez.

“These partnerships speak volumes about the openness of the Athens community,” Brown said. “They reflect a willingness to connect with people with disabilities not only socially, but also as future employees.”

At Zonez, a promotional printing business on East State Street, owner David Kasler provided participants with hands-on tours of the facility, allowing them to observe machines in action and even create their own T-shirts.

“They get to push the buttons, watch the machines run and ask questions about the job,” Kasler said. “You can see how excited they are. Experiences like this aren’t always accessible, so we’re happy to be part of it.”

Kasler added that the program offers meaningful exposure to workplaces students may not otherwise encounter. “We enjoy having them and would welcome them back anytime,” he said.

Bagel Street Deli also partnered with the program by hosting a workshop-style visit at its Court Street location. Co-owner Megan McElligott Meyer said participants learned about restaurant jobs, discussed workplace expectations and created their own bagel sandwiches.

“The students explored the business, talked about what makes a good employee and then went through an assembly-style line to build their own bagelwich,” McElligott Meyer wrote in an email. “It was a fun and empowering experience.”

Her daughter, Fiona Meyer, who participated in the program, especially enjoyed being an independent customer in a familiar space.

“Bagel Street Deli wants to be a place that welcomes all people,” McElligott Meyer said. “We encourage teens to explore opportunities in local businesses.”

Brown said the program is vital for helping youth with disabilities navigate their future both during school and after.

“The Integrate Athens Community and Career Exploration program is a foundational piece of transition planning, helping the youth of Athens County with disabilities better understand what is available in their community, have better access to it and then be able to prepare for what employment may look like during their school life as well as after their graduation,” Brown said. “It’s truly a foundational step toward independence.”

Edited by doctoral student Ebenezer Fayah Amartey