BRYN MAWR, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — At a Bryn Mawr gift shop called Something Different by Eric (814 W. Lancaster Ave.), the goal is not to make a profit, but to create a community.
“The first thing I want them to see — and when they look through the window, they're gonna see the sign. It says ‘Celebrating Individuals with Disabilities,’” said Dr. Bernadette Wheeler.
By day, she is a gynecologist at the University of Pennsylvania. But Wheeler says her passion is the nonprofit store named in honor of her son Eric, who has Down syndrome. She founded the shop with her husband in 2015 — a pivotal year, she said — when Eric was 23 years old.
“At the time, schools actually allowed people with disabilities to be there until they're 21,” she said. “Once they're 21, everything falls apart, because what happens — there's no structure. A lot of their friendships disappear, because people started to scatter. So we didn't have a lot of choices.”
Wheeler says she wanted Eric — who she describes as a kind and determined basketball fanatic — to have something that felt structured and stable, so she and her husband started up the store. It gives their son employment that’s tailored to his needs.
Not only that, it also creates connection and visibility. She says that’s intentional, and it’s why they chose a location for the store on a busy street instead of on a corner tucked away out of plain view.
Wheeler says she hopes to provide that kind connection and visibility and agency for more people with disabilities like Eric’s. The COVID-19 pandemic put their initial expansion plans on ice, but she says they are hoping to make it happen by January.
“My wish is for them to feel important. My wish is for them to know that, when they're here, no one's looking down on them. No one expects them to be at a certain pace, speed. And I think that if people can actually see that, you know what? It's okay to just be.”
Wheeler says she hopes that people will visit the store not only to support their cause, but also to check out the eclectic mix of trinkets, tchotchkes and housewares.
“Though it's a store that's trying to change things for people with disabilities, I want everybody to feel like there's something in there for them,” she said.