Executive Summary

People with disabilities are increasingly turning to small business ownership to improve their economic status, take control of their lives, and hopefully, to reduce or eliminate the need for benefits from government programs.

Small businesses are the driving force behind the nation's economic growth, providing, for example, virtually all the new jobs created 1992 and 1996. The structure of America's businesses is changing, with fewer full-time employees and more work being contracted to small businesses by large firms.

This report discusses the current status of small business and self-employment opportunities for people with disabilities and offers recommendations for addressing barriers to business ownership. The findings in this report build upon the proceedings of the National Blue Ribbon Panel on Self-Employment, Small Business and Disability, convened in July 1998 by the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (now the Office of Disability Employment Policy), with additional support from the Social Security Administration, the World Institute on Disability and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity.

Overarching Themes

As noted below, several overarching themes prevail throughout the report. They include:

• Mainstream business development organizations, both public and private, must make a commitment to reach out to individuals with disabilities.
• Outreach and awareness-raising efforts are needed to educate the public, individuals with disabilities, government agencies, financial institutions, and business development professionals about the viability of business ownership for people with disabilities.
• Vocational rehabilitation counselors need adequate education, training, and clear policy guidance relative to self-employment or small business ownership as vocational outcomes.
• People with disabilities need access to flexible capital based on the merits of their business plan.
• Business development services targeted to individuals with disabilities must include a comprehensive framework for providing training and technical assistance services.
• Continued research is needed regarding the current status of self-employment of people with disabilities being served through public service delivery systems and those who are independently pursuing self-employment.

Self-employment offers significant potential as a means to accessing the American dream for many people with disabilities. The current social and economic climate is favorable for entrepreneurship, and people with disabilities should be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities that business ownership presents. However, at this point in the continuum of policy, services, and strategies regarding self-employment, we are at a crossroads. Without a commitment to forward movement, self-employment issues will be addressed at a rate that is ineffective and unacceptable–ultimately rendering it less than a viable option for economic independence.

In consideration of the overarching themes, and with confidence in the capacity of the National Blue Ribbon Panel participants, the primary recommendation for advancing small business and self-employment among people with disabilities is to call together the original Blue Ribbon Panel participants to review these recommendations, develop action plans for implementing the recommendations, and assign responsibility for carrying out the plans. In doing so, we hope to renew the dialogue initiated at the first Blue Ribbon Panel and incite action.

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