An increasing proportion of the working-age population is disabled or has a long-term health condition. We know disabled people struggle to find employment more than nondisabled people. In the UK, 53.7% of disabled people were in employment in 2023, compared to 82.7% of nondisabled people. They have higher rates of job loss, unemployment and early retirement due to workplace inflexibility and a lack of reasonable adjustments. If we are to improve this situation, it could come through self-employment. Self-employment is an important source of employment for many disabled people, with higher rates among disabled people than among nondisabled people. In the UK in 2021-22, for instance, 13.6% of disabled workers were self-employed, compared to 12.1% of non-disabled workers. Self-employment can offer a viable alternative pathway to social and economic independence, and greater autonomy over working hours and the work environment. It presents an opportunity for disabled people to resist the negative rhetoric that they are idle benefit ‘scroungers’ and to prove themselves as productive and driven to succeed. It sounds like an ideal solution – but it is not that straightforward. We partnered with Jacqueline Winstanley, a disabled businesswoman whose firm, Universal Inclusion, supports other disabled entrepreneurs as they navigate setting up a business. Through interviews and focus groups with 37 disabled people who are selfemployed or entrepreneurs, we explored their unmet support needs. Improving their employment capabilities requires addressing social, institutional and structural barriers to their access to both employment and self-employment. WORKPLACE ISSUES The fact there are more disabled selfemployed people than non-disabled self-employed people tells a story in itself. Why are so many disabled people choosing to be self-employed? When disabled workers are employed by a company, they cannot always rely on their employer to give them reasonable adjustments. A lot of employers do not do a full adjustment that would really make a difference and allow somebody to work at the pace or the routine they might need to do a job well. Some disabled people become selfemployed due to this inaccessible employment and workplace discrimination. In essence, for many, they have been pushed into selfemployment, rather than pulled into it out of choice. Before they even reach the decision to become self-employed, our research demonstrates a need to focus energy on helping companies become better employers. They need help to navigate how to make reasonable adjustments for employees, and even funding to keep people in work if they have to take extra time off to deal with an illness or condition. The government needs to change focus and start to support employers to become more inclusive in the first place. This then sits alongside reforms required for those who are self-employed. STARTING AFRESH Most participants we spoke to had become self-employed due to difficulties entering or progressing in their previous employment. They really valued the greater autonomy and flexibility that self-employment offered. It was positive for their self-esteem and confidence. However, when disabled people do enter the world of entrepreneurship, they quickly discover institutional and structural barriers. Funding is scare, and they encounter negative attitudes from 32 |
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