“When you do not find the accommodations you need among employers - make your own”.
Entrepreneurship for Persons with disabilities has the following obvious benefits:
- By avoiding the limitations as a result of disability, their strong points and advantageous resources can be utilized with great flexibility. For example, running small shops such as the repair of electronics, restaurants or beauty shops can not only make best use of their skills learned from vocational training courses, but also have the freedom of handling their own time and place. At the same time, they do not need to be confined to the working hours like they are employed by others
- It is good for exerting the capacity and motions of persons with disabilities.
- They may have their own rights to realize their values in the society, and at the same time building up their confidence, self-esteem and determination.
- It is helpful to lessen the burden from their families and the society, and to generate more profits for the whole society.
- They can fully and equally participate in social life, and can have the equal share of achievements of social development.
- The approach helps to build good image in the society, changing public view towards persons with disabilities and setting good examples for other persons with disabilities.
The support for the entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities is realized through the following methods:
- To strengthen support in government policies. A series of rules and regulations are implemented to encourage the entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities, including the simplification of procedures and favor in taxation.
- To focus on raising the educational levels of persons with disabilities to give them knowledge and ability of entrepreneurship.
- To provide support and guidance for the entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities through social publicity, consultancy and promotion.
- To conduct training on specific skills of business management, helping them to select business area suitable for their own conditions, so as to enhance their overall diathesis and the market competitive power.
- To provide support in funding and technology, including favorite loans, free equipment, and arranging relevant organizations or enterprises to teach techniques, management skills and knowledge at no cost or low cost.
Addressing Barriers to Self-Employment
People with disabilities often confront barriers when attempting to start entrepreneurial ventures. For example, they may not be able to access the capital needed to start a business because they lack satisfactory credit or assets to use as collateral for a loan. Also, they may not have the information and resources they need to develop an effective business plan.
Increasingly, traditional public service providers such as vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals and workforce development professionals are implementing strategies and establishing partnerships with other public and private sector organizations to advance entrepreneurship as an effective route to economic independence for their clients. Through creative thinking and leveraging of existing resources, they are helping break down these barriers. For example:
Success Stories World-wide
I Muwanga Edrisa (Ugandan), first faced difficulties for 4 years after graduation to get employed. I faced a lot of discrimination during the job search. And then I realized nobody believes in the abilities of a person with a disability before he or she speaks out or displays something tangible. But if employers do not give us a chance to show what we can do, how will they know our abilities? However, I gave up on the job search and first read literature about becoming self-employed (I read a book of 500 pages day and night for 1 week). I learnt all about business planning process and by the time I finished the book I knew where to start from but my biggest challenge was capital. I moved wherever I could to get capital, from friends to relatives, corporates to banks but all failed me. I did not give up but resorted to the few basic things in my house that I came back with from school, which I used to start up a business. I already had my business plan in place and knew what I wanted to achieve. I opened up a “computer services and general consultancy center” that first of that kind in the community, which amazed the community to see a person with a disability opening up such a thing. The community welcomed and supported the business and within 5months it was one of the fastest growing businesses. From that business I was able to gain my freedom (free from dependency), standard of living improved, started a family, accumulated some assets and also opened a savings account. And another thing I am proud of, I was able to mentor and train many community young kids and youth in the use of computer and Information and Communication technology, whereby many of those youth have acquired jobs elsewhere and others started up their own businesses.
The SBA's Alpha Entrepreneur Program has identified several successful entrepreneurs with disabilities, including the following:
Bob Douglas, President and Founder, National Center for Therapeutic Riding
After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1970s, Mr. Douglas, who uses a wheelchair and is partially blind, decided to take his future into his own hands and started a pilot program with Washington, DC public schools to provide specialized horseback riding instruction to students in special education classes. The program succeeded and in 1980 became known as the National Center for Therapeutic Riding (NCTR), a non-profit dedicated to serving individuals with disabilities through therapeutic riding . Since its inception, NCTR has served more than 6,000 individuals.
Fred Cherry, President and CEO, Cherry Engineering Support Services, Inc. (CESSI)
Mr. Cherry, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, founded CESSI, a small, disadvantaged minority-owned business, in 1992. The company provides expertise in information technology, disability policy and services, research, program and conference management, and accessible technology to a range of clients. A highly decorated veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam wars, Mr. Cherry spent more than seven years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam after ejecting from his aircraft and sustaining multiple injuries to the left side of his body. Upon retiring from the military, he worked for three different firms before deciding to start his own business.
Ann Morris Bliss, President, Ann Morris Enterprises, Inc.
In 1985, Ms. Morris Bliss developed a mail order catalogue company that sells a wide range of innovative products for people with vision loss. The company generates more than half a million dollars in revenue and over the years has employed a number of people, including individuals with disabilities. Ms. Morris Bliss is completely blind from a process that began from complications at birth.
Entrepreneurs create products, services and jobs. They expand economies, improve people's lives, provide employment (high and rising wages) and bring about competition. A competitive environment, in turn, gives rise to efficiency, meritocracy and further innovations and entrepreneurial drive.
“Addressing disability is a significant part of reducing poverty. Bringing disabled people out of the corners and back alleys of society, and empowering them to thrive in the bustling center of national life, will do much to improve the lives of many from among the poorest of the poor around the world.” James Wolfensohn, former World Bank President, 2002
