In the article “when disability is the spur to a dream“, three business founders explain how being disabled was one among many entepreneurial challenges they tackled. Each of the entrepreneurs says that disability has made them better listeners and problem-solvers for clients. One key factor seems to be the availability of appropriate advice and support to enable individuals to launch their enterprises.
In London Enabled 4 Enterprise (E4E), a new initiative aiming to break down the barriers preventing the capital’s 800,000 disabled people from starting their own businesses, was launched last month. E4E was established in conjunction with the Barriers and Opportunities Report which noted that 57% per cent of disabled people of working age in London are unemployed and often face difficulties getting business advice that considers their specific needs. E4E will help them overcome these hurdles through a series of workshops, accredited qualifications linked to an online learning programme, and regular informal network meetings.
Meanwhile the Arural project, established to help disabled entrepreneurs set up in business, has spawned 13 new businesses with a further ten expected to begin trading in the next few months. The Disabled Entrepreneurs Project (DEP) was specifically designed to support disabled people in the South West to develop their ideas into business ventures. The project is due to end this month, when all the businesses will be encouraged to access mainstream business advice to support them as their businesses grow. The project has exceeded its aims as, having initially planned to give advice to 35 entrepreneurs, it has so far assisted over 60.
[...] also Enabled for enterprise and BME students encouraged to be [...]