Giving it their all

Xander Edwards, 19, his mother, Robin Edwards, Ruby Hutchinson, 14, and her mother, Brenda Pullara, left to right, show off some of the custom t-shirts they print at Beyond Able Apparel at The ARC of Marion in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, July 17, 2026. Beyond Able Apparel is a new nonprofit venture founded by Brenda Pullara, a special education teacher and special needs mother, along with Robin Edwards, that inspires and gives purpose to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Xander has taken ownership of his craft operating the screen-printed and DTF (direct-to-film) machine for the apparel. Ruby plays a special role by helping to pack up the custom t-shirts after Xander is finished printing them. The ARC of Marion has given the group space to work on their new clothing masterpieces. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.

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Posted July 21, 2026 | By Susan Smiley-Height / Photos by Bruce Ackerman

In a small building on the campus of The Arc of Marion on Baseline Road in Ocala, there are days when the “magic” just happens. And you can be pretty sure that Xander Edwards will be grinning from ear to ear when it does.

Edwards, 19, is the “pressman” for the Beyond Able Apparel 501©(3) nonprofit startup company that is rolling out custom printed T-shirts bearing a wide range of designs.

Local moms Brenda Pullara and Robin Edwards are the organizers of the business enterprise, which involves their special needs children, Ruby Pullara, 14, and Xander Edwards, 19. Pullara has been a special needs educator and has a podcast about parenting.

“Robin and I were talking on a podcast about the struggles our kids would face to work a regular job and that someone would have to be willing to pay someone wages to supervise them to work and also get paid. We talked about how unlikely it would be that anyone would be willing to do that,” Pullara shared.

“A few weeks later, I just had this vision, or like a daydream, of how the process of making shirts could be automated more for kids like mine and Robin’s and I felt like they would be able to do it with the proper tools. It was something they would need to work at a bit, but I knew from my teaching children with disabilities experience that over time they would get it. Ironically it took less time than we even imagined that they would both get the routines and get into a great groove,” she added.

Edwards noted that, “while we were talking on Brenda’s newly formed podcast, at the time it was ‘fun’ to talk about, because our kiddos wouldn’t have the opportunity to contribute to society in the way an average child would. We wanted to provide an environment that would be enriching and enjoyable while also being productive.”

Now, when you walk into the Beyond Able Apparel workshop, you’ll see a hot press machine, a couple of sewing machines and a rack filled with T-shirt design templates. To complete an order, a design will be created by the client or a member of the Beyond Able team. Once the transfer decals have been printed, Xander can go to work pressing the design onto shirts, under careful supervision. Across the room, the shirt may receive an additional image imprint on a sleeve or go straight to Ruby for packaging, also under supervision. Some team members are clients of The Arc of Marion.

Both proud moms said that Beyond Able Apparel clients very often will come to pick up their order as they want to receive them directly from the eager team members who did the work.

Examples of recent completed orders were bright orange Hear Us Roar III shirts for the collaborative fundraiser that featured performances and art created by clients of The Arc of Marion in partnership with Arts in Health Ocala Metro practitioners, campaign shirts for a local candidate and a batch of eye-catching shirts for the Purrs & Pages cat café and bookstore.

The Arc of Marion has been providing support and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1959. The nonprofit offers programs such as adult day training, supported employment and independent living, transportation services and residential services.

Edwards said when Xander turned 2, in 2009, he attended The Arc early intervention program. Pullara said Ruby attended the same program as a toddler.

“Years later I had a meeting with the mayor (Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano) about some ideas I have pertaining to the disability community, and he gave me some great insight. For this (Beyond Able Apparel), he asked me to visit some of the places that serve the disabled community and see if they would give us some space. He mentioned Arc and I think I knew then they should be my first visit. They happily welcomed us to their campus and the rest is history,” Pullara explained.

“At Arc Marion, we believe lives are changed through collaboration. We’re proud to share our campus with Beyond Able Apparel, creating more opportunities for adults with disabilities to learn, work and thrive. Together, we’re building a stronger, more inclusive community where every ability has the chance to shine,” Rhonda Kincaid, community coordinator for The Arc of Marion, wrote via email.

Pullara shared that getting established has taken not only commitment, but a willingness to put profits back into the fledgling business.

“We do charge for the shirts and depending on what people are needing depends on the cost to purchase. We typically charge enough to make a little extra over the materials, but we are still super brand new and everything we have made is going back into growing and expanding our program. It helps to have blank shirts and things like that on hand, especially for our repeat customers. That is what the extra money will go to for quite some time until we get very established,” she explained.

“Currently, the money made is fed right back into the nonprofit so we can grow. Brenda and I both have come out of pocket for all of the beginning and several months in. We have a vision of growth and education. The first priority is to have products and work orders for our participants to work on,” Edwards added.

As for why it might be important for Beyond Able participants to learn/know a skill such as this, Pullara noted, “We have seen in everyone who has tried out the process a nervousness about trying it out. I think it’s magical to see them go from that to a huge sense of pride when they complete the shirt and the packaging. They get that sense of accomplishment that most of us take for granted. We have something really beautiful because, if they attend enough, they get the whole experience. Most of our customers are happy to come by if they are able and meet with the kids, who get to hear the feedback of how happy they are about the order. It’s so rewarding for the participants.”

“Why do we teach our neurotypical kids skills? For growth and a sense of pride,” Edwards offered. “Most people take for granted that people with intellectual disabilities want the same things…to feel accomplishment and pride in a job well done. I’m guilty of it myself. If not for Brenda, I would not have taught Xander to make shirts. I’d already tried so many crafts with him, and he had no interest nor the hand control needed for it. Now, seeing him make these shirts, watching him tirelessly use the press and wanting more and then getting excited when he sees someone wearing one of ‘his’ shirts—it makes my heart ache in a good way to see him express these things.” 

“People with intellectual and developmental disabilities—just like everyone else—need that sense of purpose. We are helping create that,” Pullara continued. “We have participants like Jordan who are only able to choose designs at the moment, but he really enjoys doing that. His mom says they put the design choices on two separate phones and he looks at both until he makes a choice and happily points to it. It also gives the consumer a good feeling. We have repeat customers like Sarao Services that look forward to coming to pick up their orders and talk to and thank the kids personally. They are getting their company shirts from a place that isn’t just another company with a bottom line, there is a mission behind it. It’s really a win-win for everyone.”

“It’s important for the fact of giving all of the individuals a chance at working a ‘real’ job,” Edwards stated. “It’s an outlet that’s both productive and a place that they can go to try different things, be with others like them and come together in a common goal. They don’t have to like to make shirts to be here. They can come to learn other skills, like folding, packaging, counting inventory. We have fun, congregate and then clean up before lights out. We can accommodate kiddos whose parents aren’t comfortable bringing them in by sending them designs to choose from and they receive a free shirt of that design to show off at home. What’s better for our community—A shirt you bought at Walmart or one that came from someone in your own county who put their all into making it?”

To learn more, go to fb.com/people/Beyond-Able-Apparel/61584254382673/, find an array of designs at beyondable-apparel.myshopify.co, email [email protected] or call (863) 258-6624.

To hear Pullara’s podcast, go to youtube.com/@TruthBToldSpecialNeedsParentin

For information about The Arc of Marion, visit arcmarion.org