Inclusive Shops Draw Workers: Robin Rinearson builds disability-friendly jobs; demand now outstrips roles

By 2026, Robin Rinearson’s two Fairfax County businesses have become more than neighbourhood food shops, they have become workplaces where people with disabilities can build skills, confidence and independence. When retired optometrist Robin Rinearson opened Jake’s Ice Cream in Virginia in 2021, her goal was not simply to sell scoops of ice cream. She wanted to create something she felt was missing: meaningful, long-term employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Five years later, that small idea has grown into two businesses employing 35 people, 24 at Jake’s Ice Cream and 11 at Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn. Rinearson now says she has a waiting list of people hoping to work there. The story was reported by local news outlet FFXnow after Fairfax County supervisors recognised Rinearson on August 25 for her inclusive hiring practices. Earlier this summer, the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) also named her a 2026 Ability Transcends Challenges Award recipient.It began with her nephewThe ice-cream shop was named after Rinearson’s nephew, Jake, who has cerebral palsy. Before the pandemic, Jake had held a job for years. But when Covid-19 disrupted workplaces, ...