People with disabilities seek to open their own businesses
July 15th, 2010Entrepreneurship seen as alternative to bleak job market, but hurdles loom
By Sarah E. Needleman in the Wall Street Journal:
An increasing number of people with disabilities are exploring entrepreneurship, responding to an competitive job market that offers them few opportunities, experts say. The unemployment rate for workers with disabilities was 14.3 percent in June, more than 50 percent higher than the national unemployment rate for all American workers.
The jobless situation for workers with disabilities is even more dire than is reflected in official unemployment statistics, according to experts, because those numbers do not take account of individuals who have stopped looking for work, or who do not seek work for fear of losing government benefits.
Experts say they have seen a steady increase in the number of people with disabilities who are seeking grants, mentors, training and resources, but have not seen strong evidence that the supports are working. “We have yet to show any significant increase in profit or individual incomes by these new business owners,” says Urban Miyares, president of a nonprofit business support agency in San Diego.
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July 15th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
My friend who also has a disability has no more faith/hope/patience in the discriminating workforce and has started her own pet sitting business. It’s a few years old and quite successful!