Disabled Services and entrepreneurs
Is there room for Entrepreneurs within the disabled services programs ? I live in Colorado so I went to the home page for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and saw the following Mission statement :
The Division Of Vocational Rehabilitation assists individuals whose disabilities result in barriers to employment to succeed at work and live independently
Given the limited resources and crushing case load I think our agency in Colorado does a great job…And yet I’m concerned for their clients. I’m concerned because sometimes it’s a full time job for individuals with disabilities to get ready for “work”. Some days it is not physically possible for some to go to work and many times those with severe disabilities are in low paying jobs. Worse yet, some estimates say that the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is over 70%-I don’t think that is a negative reflection on those offering disabled services. Rather, it’s a fact of life. Maybe it’s time to step back and look at the employment issue in a new light. That’s where the entrepreneur comes in. A good working definition of an entrepreneur comes from American Heritage dictionary :
A person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture.
I am more encouraged than ever by the disabled who are taking the entrepreneurial route. There are many routes from the internet, public speaking, royalties from book sales and many others. I will attempt to hilite some of the best ideas that are out there today that are certainly outside the walls of traditional disabled services-but they are working and providing financial success for many.
Steve Mertz
Disabled Entrepreneurs Are Alive and Well
