Help us support disabled entrepreneurs in the UK to launch and grow their businesses

The conventional job market isn’t always set up with people living with disabilities in mind.

Travelling to and from the workplace can be a barrier, and often the workplace itself may not be set-up for people living with a disability. With almost one in five (17%) disabled business owners citing discrimination as a barrier, it’s little wonder people with a disability often turn to self-employment and entrepreneurship from a need to create their own opportunities.

It’s why we’ve set up a disability fund to make sure we’re doing all we can to support disabled founders, whatever stage their business is in. We’re already working with the team at Parallel, who are launching Purple Sock Day on 3 December 2021 to mark The International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and we’re keen to do even more.

The facts around employment and disability paint a clear picture:

The employment rate has consistently been around a third (30%) lower amongst disabled individuals compared to someone without a disability.

The rate of self-employment is higher for disabled people: 18% of disabled men and 8% of disabled women are self-employed, compared to 14% and 6% of people in the UK living without a disability.

With your support, we can provide the support, advice and guidance a founder living with a disability needs to make sure their business doesn’t just survive, but flourishes. Thank you.