By: Gena Johnson | West Bloomfield Beacon | Published February 5, 2026
WEST BLOOMFIELD — When Sam Morris saw hurtful messages in the media about people with disabilities, the 34-year-old West Bloomfield man decided to counter that narrative with his own message of love.
“They were saying people with autism and other disabilities had no value and they destroyed families,” recalled Morris, who was diagnosed with autism at age 3.
He described the rhetoric he had seen as “stigmatization.” His mother, Carolyn Sklarchyk, said it took Morris a while to rebound from what he read and heard. Such comments included claims that those with autism would never work, date, or properly manage their restroom needs.
Morris is living proof this is not true. A 2011 graduate of West Bloomfield High School, he went on to attend a secondary vocational school. He has been working at a job in a position he loves for about six years now, and he is fully able to take care of himself.
But the negative messages he saw still affected him.
“It was literally a few months for him to come back into sorts,” Sklarchyk said. “I said, ‘Why don’t you go draw again, Sam? That’ll help.’”
The result: a drawing of a boy surrounded by hearts, and the slogan, “Everyone Has Value.” The design has since found its way onto T-shirts, sweatshirts, blankets, mugs and more.
“Disabled people have rights because they are human beings,” Morris said. “They can give and receive love, and that makes everyone have value.”
To print his merchandise, Morris sought out Emma Zerkel, co-owner of Winning Imprints in Keego Harbor. After production costs, the proceeds are donated to the Arc of the United States, a group that advocates for the rights of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“I have personally known Sam for quite a long time,” Zerkel said. “I value his goal and his objective. I have a strong passion to help neurodiverse individuals, and so this was an easy decision to help Sam.”
According to the official website of the Journal of the American Medical Association, neurodiversity is a natural variation in how people think and process information, rather than a disorder or defect that needs to be cured.
Zerkel has a son with autism and met Morris through the Friendship Circle, a nonprofit that provides social interaction and life skills for those with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Morris has been a part of the organization since it began in 1994. This is where he learned to draw, paint, bake, and other skills that have allowed him to engage with the community.
The response to the “Everyone Has Value” merchandise has been positive.
“They really love it,” Morris said. “The point of the ‘Everyone Has Value’ shirt is not about self-promotion, but to teach about inclusion. I want to help protect the rights of people with disabilities.”
According to Morris, there still exist some social attitudes towards people with disabilities that endanger their rights. The Arc of the United States has been working to correct this.
“The Arc … helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including people like Sam, to live their best lives,” said Dawn Calnen, the executive director of the group’s Oakland County chapter, located in Troy. “We do that through advocacy and linking families to available (governmental and community) resources.”
The group relies on the generosity of the community to fund its advocacy programs. Morris’ donation will help.
“Sam is such a bright light, not only to have a voice for people who are vulnerable but also to share his profits with our organization,” Calnen said. “Every day, we have people come into our advocacy resource center who are seeking help, who might feel helpless and hopeless, and we can provide them with the information and tools they need to walk away feeling hopeful.”
Morris’ philanthropic efforts are not new. Following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2020, he wanted love to shine through the broken glass and windows from the incident.
So, he created “Heartshine,” a design he drew, printed on a T-shirt and posted on Facebook. It sold in all 50 states. He then donated $10,000 in proceeds to the Anti-Defamation League — “the organization that stops hate,” Morris said.
His goal for the “Everyone Has Value” merchandise is to sell it across the country, spreading its message of acceptance far and wide.
“Give and receive love,” Morris said. “Because everyone in America must remember that everyone has value. Not just the disabled, but all human life.”
For more information, visit winningimprints.chipply.com.