Policy Options The policy options centered on supporting selfemployment and entrepreneurship strategies for people with disabilities through two key strategies— strengthening the viability of entrepreneurship/ self-employment and including disability-owned businesses in state procurement, certification and financial support policies.
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States are encouraged to ensure that state workforce development systems support entrepreneurship and selfemployment as viable employment options for people with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, self-employment/ entrepreneurship may provide greater work customizability and may even provide income that is equal to or greater than wages in traditional job placements. However, state workforce development systems often do not offer robust training in business ownership or lack the staff capacity and expertise to support self-employment as a placement strategy. States can include self-employment/entrepreneurship as an explicit element of the state workforce development strategy, thereby building agency capacity and providing another avenue for economic self-sufficiency for their clients with disabilities. States also benefit from stronger
EXAMPLES IN ACTION
economies by preparing individuals with disabilities to be business owners and potential employers of other individuals with disabilities.
A Formalize entrepreneurship and self employment as a viable employment strategy for individuals with disabilities in state workforce service delivery. A robust workforce development
strategy for individuals with disabilities should include entrepreneurship and self-employment. States can support these options for individuals with disabilities by streamlining services and earmarking funding specifically for the professional development and training of entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Suggested Strategies i Direct disability-specific (VR and workforce development, Medicaid, developmental disability, mental health) state agency services and funding to target entrepreneurship and self-employment training/supports and promote greater focus of entrepreneurship/self-employment in general state agency services. • Set goals for entrepreneurship/self-employment funding and training. States can consider tying annual funding goals and training/placement goals to the national disability entrepreneurship rate. • Report performance measurements and outcomes. ii Establish entrepreneurship and self-employment as competitive, integrated employment in the language of employment-first policies.
customized employment discovery strategies targeting self-employment for people with disabilities.
Alaska, Florida and New York participated in DOL/ ODEP’s START-UP demonstration project, which explored opportunities to coordinate state workforce agencies and community organizations in delivering
California, Maine, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Utah have established entrepreneurship and/or selfemployment as competitive employment placements in statute or regulatory language.
National Task Force on Workforce Development for People with Disabilities
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