Meet Aimee

As a former teacher and longtime resident of the Media area, Aimee Rubin has always been active in her community and someone who wants to help. In 2021, she and her husband opened Game on State, a wholesome place where kids and families can play together that provides employment to individuals with disabilities. The journey to open “everybody’s arcade,” an inclusive community business, began when she was struggling to find services for own child with disabilities.

An Inclusive Business

For Aimee, it only became apparent that her child would face hardship when his disabilities, although minor, ended his college efforts after only six weeks at school. In trying to find services, she quickly learned no matter when a child’s needs are recognized, the community support services available are hard to discover and even harder to navigate. She realized that there was “this whole population out there that needed help” and that wasn’t acceptable to her.

The discovery spurred her to action. Within a short time, Aimee and her husband decided to create an inclusive workplace that would provide “customized and supported work” for disabled employees. 

She explains, “we sought to create a small business that could provide employees with work based upon what they can do, instead of what they can’t do.” The resulting business is Game on State. It’s an arcade and candy shop packed with old-school faves like Pac-Man, Donkey-Kong, pinball, and more. Employees with and without disabilities work alongside one another, normalizing the experience for everyone.

Aimee’s Point of Pride

Aimee says that opening of Game on State has been an incredible learning experience. She’s proud of what her business provides for the community. Not only does it provide a fun space for families and friends, but also provides employment to individuals with disabilities. What’s more, she also believes when people come into the arcade, it normalizes social interaction with differently-abled people.

“Working at Game on State allows those who are differently abled to see that they are accepted by the community. They have opportunities for normal, social interaction,” she says.

But best of all, Game on State reflects an inherent, guiding value. For Aimee that value is “to treat anyone and everyone with respect, without concern or overt attention to how they might be different, so that all are considered equal.”