How Columbia Ability Alliance Creates a Welcoming Tri‑Cities for All

When people think of tourism, they often imagine scenic views, local food, or fun-filled community events. But what if tourism could also reflect the heart of a community - a place where every person feels seen, welcomed, and valued? That’s exactly the kind of Tri-Cities Columbia Ability Alliance (CAA) is helping to build.

Columbia Ability Alliance (CAA) is the Welcome Wagon crew at the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo, greeting vendors each morning with smiles, treats from Opportunity Kitchen, and bottled water from Paradise Bottled Water.

Blending Vocational Training with Public-Facing Experiences

Columbia Ability Alliance supports individuals with disabilities through job training, community integration, and inclusive employment. What makes CAA unique is how it intersects with the Tri-Cities’ tourism economy. By combining vocational training with public-facing services, CAA ensures that both visitors and residents experience the Tri-Cities as a place that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

Fueling Events Like IRONMAN With Opportunity

CAA’s Opportunity Kitchen training program teaches culinary and food service skills to individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment. These trainees don’t just cook; they serve the community. In partnership with Visit Tri-Cities and the IRONMAN Tri-Cities race, Opportunity Kitchen provided food support for athletes, volunteers, and spectators. CAA will proudly do so again this year. It’s nourishment with purpose, where every bite tells a story of growth, resilience, and capability.

Family-Friendly Dining with a Purpose

Round Table Pizza, operated by CAA, is more than a place to grab a slice. It serves as a community hub where inclusion is part of the daily menu. These restaurants offer real employment opportunities for CAA clients and provide a family-friendly atmosphere for visiting sports teams and tourists. It’s not just about pizza. It’s about creating experiences where everyone feels welcome.

Building Belonging…One Inclusion Night at a Time

In collaboration with the Tri-City Dust Devils, CAA hosts Inclusion Night, a celebration that honors and amplifies the voices of individuals with disabilities. Guests enjoy America’s pastime in a ballpark environment that is intentionally welcoming and sensory-friendly. These evenings highlight what makes the Tri-Cities special: community partnerships rooted in equity, access, and joy.

Inclusion on Tap: A Brew with a Mission

CAA teamed up with Ice Harbor Brewery to launch a custom-labeled IPA: Inclusion, Potential, Ability. This play on the classic “IPA” acronym turned into a community favorite and a conversation starter. The rebranded beer reflected CAA’s mission and showed how local businesses and nonprofits can collaborate to create a more inclusive region.

Columbia Ability Alliance

Hospitality with Heart at the Fair & Rodeo

At the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo, CAA promotes social inclusion through its Welcome Wagon. Clients from CAA’s Community Center offer bottled water from Paradise Bottled Water and snacks from Opportunity Kitchen to vendors across the fairgrounds. Paradise Bottled Water also serves as the fair’s hydration partner, while Opportunity Kitchen provides catering to the VIP Hospitality Tent. Each of these touchpoints demonstrates how inclusion and tourism can work hand in hand.

Advancing Tri-IDEAS

Columbia Ability Alliance lives out the Tri-IDEAS values - Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Sustainability - by actively shaping a community where all people, regardless of ability, can thrive, participate, and contribute.

Whether you’re grabbing a bite, attending a ballgame, enjoying a brew, or taking part in a regional celebration, you’ll find Columbia Ability Alliance creating moments of connection that reflect the true spirit of the Tri-Cities: inclusive, vibrant, and open to all.

Author

Columbia Ability Alliance

Columbia Ability Alliance is dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals with unique abilities and life barriers, in order to foster their independence and help them achieve personal success.

Related Content: