Resources for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities

Important Considerations for Potential Entrepreneurs with Disabilities

Self-employment offers many benefits for people with disabilities:

• The freedom, flexibility and independence that come from working for oneself
• The opportunity to work in a disability-friendly environment
• The ability to reduce the need for transportation
• The ability to accommodate changing functional levels
• The ability to create an accessible work environment
• Individuals with disabilities who receive income support, such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability payments, can increase their income while staying within the income and asset requirements of those programs.

Anyone considering entrepreneurship must also be aware of the challenges involved in starting a business. There remains an array of obstacles ranging from attitudinal barriers to lack of coordination among Federal programs:

• The possible loss of cash benefits from SSDI or SSI disability programs
• The possible loss of health care benefits such as Medicare or Medicaid
• The inability to get credit because of poor credit ratings
• The lack of assets to use as collateral
• The lack of access to programs promoting self-employment and small business development
• Government disability programs that overlook entrepreneurship as an avenue from the public rolls to self-sufficiency.

The 1999 passage of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act addresses some, but not all, of these issues.

Resources for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities

• If you have a disability and are considering starting your own business, contact the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s new Small Business Self-Employment Service (SBSES) for information. The SBSES World Wide Web site, < janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/sbses >, includes links to other entrepreneurship sites,including the SBA and state vocational rehabilitation programs. It also provides information on a variety of other technical assistance resources for writing business plans, financing, and other issues specific to developing a small business. Individual assistance is available at 800-526-7234 or 800-232-9675 (V/TTY).

Whether you are starting a new business or expanding an established business, the SBA has a variety of programs to assist you. Free one-on-one counseling is available locally to help entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs in the areas of planning, financing, management, technology, government procurement, and other business related areas.

The SBA’s Answer Desk is a national toll-free telephone service which provides information to the public on small business problems and concerns. This service provides general information about SBA programs and other programs available to assist the small business community.

Business Information Assistants are available to speak directly with callers between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (East Coast Time) by calling the Answer Desk at 800-UASK-SBA (800-827-5722). Outside of these hours, callers may hear a recording of the information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Write to this service at: 200 North College Street, Suite A-2015, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28202 or send your questions via e-mail at < answerdesk@sba.gov >.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy has initiated a range of activities with other Federal agencies to ensure that Federal employment programs for people with disabilities will promote small business ownership as a career option, and that potential entrepreneurs with disabilities know about the process and resources for starting a business. Information on these programs can be obtained from the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s web site at < www.dol.gov/odep >.

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