There is considerable buzz in disability advocacy circles about the work that the Burton Blatt Institute of Syracuse University is doing in their Centers of Innovation on Disability. The Centers enable persons with a disability to explore the opportunities of entrepreneurship and assist them with startup businesses.  Because Disaboom believes that entrepreneurship is the key to living forward for many persons with disabilities, we asked Gary Shaheen, Senior Vice President of the Institute to share his vision.

“We believe that two things need to be developed: The first one involves fine-tuning a way of developing hope. Because so many times folks with disabilities don’t get encouragement.  They are not encouraged to start a business, or they are actively discouraged. We have to find some way of letting people know that it is truly possible for them to start a business. And following that with technical assistance and the community development that will allow them to do two things: One, to assess whether or not they want to do it and have a passion for it. And the second thing is, if they really do feel that way, they have the background and research both internal and external so that they get the training, support and financing they need.

“Often we hear that this is the worst time to start a business; the economy is in the tank. But this country has always grown on the backs of small businesses. Over ten million Americans are self-employed, and there are actually more small businesses being created because of corporate downsizing and people being aged-out, which basically means not only is their income affected, their self-perception is affected, their dignity, their whole history. They feel they have something that they could contribute to become more economically self-secure. There are a zillion different reasons for entrepreneurship.  Folks with disabilities are no different.

“Some companies are utilizing government incentives for hiring persons with disabilities, but when we talk about entrepreneurship, we need to change that dialogue a bit. That is, to what extent are we not only opening the door for entrepreneurs to get the incentives they need in terms of financing, in terms of addressing their benefit issues, but what can we do in a more effective way to level the playing field for them to compete in business fairly. We are still caught in a medical model when it comes to people with disabilities. When they do get jobs, where are they going?  They are going to places for people with disabilities, places like the Happy Hands Workshop or other sheltered work environments.   Why don’t we take a look at those incentives and tweak them so that entrepreneurs owning businesses, that are truly mainstream, have an opportunity to compete with those products and services.  In this way, government needs are well-met, there’s a social good and an economic good.  Where people with disabilities are earning an income and enjoying the benefits, there’s an economic good because their product and services are comparable in price and quality. It’s a win-win.”

Visit www.disaboom.com often to catch the conclusion of Gary Shaheen’s prospective on disability and entrepreneurship.

Gary E. Shaheen, M.P.A. is a nationally recognized expert in the field of mental health rehabilitation, homelessness and systems change. For over twenty- six years in both the public and private sector he has been instrumental in shaping policy and programs at both the state and federal levels that help people with mental illnesses, co-occurring substance abuse disorders and those who are homeless fully integrate into their communities. He has worked with HUD, SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Labor and other federal agencies on increasing employment for these populations throughout the United States and its Territories.

The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) [Video], located at Syracuse University, will build the premier organization to advance civic, economic, and social participation of persons with disabilities in a global society by creating a collaborative environment—with entrepreneurial innovation and best business practices—to foster public-private dialogue, and create the capacity to transform policy, systems, and people through inclusive education, the workforce, and communities.