The UNH Institute on Disability is proud to announce our endorsement of the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act. Introduced by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBC), and U.S. Senator Mike Braun, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, the bipartisan act directs the Small Business Administration (SBA) to designate a Coordinator for Disabled Small Business Concerns and to collect data, on a voluntary basis, on the disability status of small business owners participating in SBA programs.
According to a report by National Disability Institute, approximately 1.8 million individuals with disabilities are business owners. As entrepreneurship offers an alternative path to traditional employment for individuals with disabilities, Americans with disabilities turn to self-employment and small business development at a rate that is nearly twice that of people without disabilities.
Research conducted by the National Council on Disability (NCD) found that people with disabilities who want to become self-employed face not only the obstacles confronting all entrepreneurs, but also unique obstacles such as attitudinal barriers, the possible loss of government-provided cash benefits and health care, and a lack of assistance and support from self-employment and small-business entities. People with disabilities who choose self-employment have historically been underserved by both the social service agencies that serve individuals with disabilities and the agencies that serve potential entrepreneurs.
To address these barriers, the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act directs the SBA to:
- Establish a Coordinator for Disabled Small Business Concerns at the agency;
- Collect voluntary demographic data from program applicants on disability status; and
- Publish data on the participation of disabled entrepreneurs in SBA programs.
Bill text is available on the SBC web site.
“Entrepreneurs with disabilities start small businesses, create jobs and ensure our local economies thrive. Through this bipartisan legislation, we will help them access the necessary resources to start and expand their small businesses,” said Chair Shaheen. “Innovators who are disabled deserve equal access to SBA programs that can support their dreams of owning and operating a successful business. I'm proud to introduce this important legislation that reaffirms our support and opens the door to opportunity.”
“For a growing number of working-age adults with disabilities, the establishment of small businesses has become an important and exciting path to participate in our country’s economic growth and improve their own economic stability and security,” said Thomas Foley, Executive Director of National Disability Institute. “We must continue to support this growing sector of the business economy with the right tools and resources to match the talents, ambition and potential of small business owners with disabilities.”
In addition to earning the UNH Institute on Disability’s endorsement, the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act has also been endorsed by the endorsed by National Disability Institute, 2Gether-International, Gallaudet University and the Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute, Disability:IN, American Association of People with Disabilities, National Down Syndrome Congress, National Federation of the Blind, Prosperity Now, National Small Business Association, America’s Small Business Development Center Network, Association of Women’s Business Centers, Association for Enterprise Opportunity, Melwood, Alliance for Expanding America’s Workforce, and Disability Rights Center - NH.
