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According to the report, National Institute on DisabilitiesApproximately 1.8 million Americans with disabilities are business owners.
Is it any wonder that the nearly 2 million Americans with disabilities who strive to work choose to carve their own path through entrepreneurship at nearly twice the rate of non-disabled people? there is no.
Despite the diverse skills, talents, and diversity that people with disabilities bring to the fabric of the American economy, barriers remain that prevent them from obtaining and maintaining traditional employment. Some employers cannot imagine work being done in a different and more flexible way, reducing the opportunities available. But if the pandemic has had a positive effect, it is that adaptive, non-traditional and flexible working environments have become more acceptable to all, allowing people with and without disabilities to work effectively in a variety of settings. And it has been proven that it can work successfully.
For people with disabilities and their employers, recognizing that accommodations and adjustments can help employees thrive has been transformative.
The mission of the UNH Institute on Disabilities (IOD) is the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all spaces, including the workplace. Employment opportunities are key to economic mobility and self-sufficiency for people with disabilities and are an important mechanism for well-being and independence. But today, many working adults with disabilities face challenges such as a lack of available transportation, lack of employee training and support, and employer bias.
inside 2015 National Employment and Disability SurveyA study conducted by IOD in collaboration with the Kessler Foundation found that more than two-thirds (68 percent) of working-age people with disabilities are in the workforce, characterized by job preparation, job search, and/or job participation. I understand that you are working hard to achieve this. Work force after onset of disability. According to his January 2024 nTIDE report on IOD: Only 37.8 percent of people were working, compared to 74.2 percent of people without disabilities.. Additionally, employed people with disabilities are less likely to have jobs with above-average wages, employer-sponsored health insurance benefits, or retirement plans.
Increasing employment rates for people with disabilities requires a variety of local, state, and federal investments, including policies that support and promote opportunity. Policies that intentionally support people with disabilities to become community leaders and business owners can make a huge difference in economic mobility, active citizenship, and social inclusion.
IOD strives to connect the needs of people with disabilities (as defined by the group) and university research to inform public policy solutions. Policies that invest in workforce expansion not only build opportunities for people with disabilities, but also directly benefit local and state economies.
Recently, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Sen. Mike Braun, Republican of Indiana, introduced the bipartisan Disabled Entrepreneur Assistance Act (SDEA). Raise awareness of entrepreneurship among people with disabilities. The bill directs the Small Business Administration to designate an agency point of contact for entrepreneurs with disabilities and to voluntarily collect data on entrepreneurs who participate in its programs.
In addition to recognizing entrepreneurs with disabilities, this bill challenges the assumption that people with disabilities cannot or do not want to become entrepreneurs. Many entrepreneurs with disabilities have unique perspectives that allow them to build businesses around their talents, strengths, and interests. The SDEA demonstrates the federal government’s continued commitment and interest in supporting this community and contributing to its success. Data collection is essential to understanding needs, impact, and progress. Proposals like this help advance our mission to recognize people with disabilities as valuable members of our businesses and communities.
1 billion people, or 16% of the world’s population, have a disability, people with disabilities have become the world’s largest minority. In the United States, 1 in 4 people live with a disabilityAnd between the long coronavirus pandemic and natural disabilities, that number will only increase. Entrepreneurship opportunities for people with disabilities are beneficial to both the disability community and the U.S. economy. The disability community provides a wealth of untapped talent and new business ideas, and also serves as an important customer base for inclusive products.
Ensuring entrepreneurship opportunities for people with disabilities is essential to the financial stability and opportunity to build generational wealth for disabled founders and disabled employees, as well as the health and sustainability of our national economy. is.
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