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thomas foley
Nicky Powis (Photo by Jason Dixson Photography)
Written by Thomas Foley and Nicky Powis
U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Mike Braun recently championed significant progress toward an inclusive and economically empowered future with the introduction of the Disabled Entrepreneur Assistance Act.
Senator Shaheen and Senator Brown serve as the Chairs of the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging, respectively, and serve as key advocates for small business owners and entrepreneurs with disabilities. He is leading a bipartisan effort to establish a comprehensive support system.
This legislation advances the Small Business Administration (SBA) by appointing a coordinator for the concerns of small businesses with disabilities. This coordinator plays a vital role in ensuring that individuals with disabilities have equal access to the resources essential to starting and expanding a small business.
Entrepreneurs with disabilities face unique challenges, including limited access to resources, attitudinal barriers, and outdated norms that can impede their path to economic prosperity. The coordinated efforts outlined in this bill aim to provide individualized support and help these entrepreneurs overcome challenges and build successful companies.
Entrepreneurship has emerged as an empowering alternative for people with disabilities, who engage in self-employment and small business development at almost twice the rate of people without disabilities. One in four people in the United States lives with a disability and faces unique barriers to employment, including workplace accessibility issues and social stigma. In 2022, nearly 8 in 10 people with disabilities will be outside the workforce.
The Disabled Entrepreneur Assistance Act is not only a milestone that removes barriers for entrepreneurs with disabilities, it also serves as the key to unlocking the American Dream for countless individuals and their families. Greater financial security means not just personal accomplishments, but potentially intergenerational ones. More paths to wealth for individuals with disabilities means their families benefit from increased opportunities, better access to education, and improved overall well-being.
By promoting an inclusive environment and providing targeted support, the Disabled Entrepreneur Support Act seeks to level the playing field and ensure that no dream is out of reach. As we champion this bipartisan effort, we hope to envision a future in which entrepreneurs with disabilities not only overcome obstacles, but also contribute significantly to the fabric of our nation, fostering a more resilient and diverse economic environment. Let’s.
We want to ensure that all people with disabilities have the ability to We believe in a future where we have the same opportunities and choices as other people. This means a future where people with disabilities are empowered to participate fully in the economic mainstream.
People with disabilities are keen to compete in the small business sector, demonstrating our talent, ambition and potential. By supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities, we not only enable individuals to realize their dreams, but also enrich our economy with diverse talent and perspectives.
Let’s support this bipartisan effort and work toward creating an environment where all American entrepreneurs have the opportunity to succeed and achieve financial security.
Dr. Thomas Foley is the Executive Director of the National Institute on Disability. Nikki Powis is director of the small business program at the National Disability Institute (nationaldisabilityinstitute.org), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC.
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