Unmet informational and support needs of self-employed disabled people and business owners
Exploring disabled people’s experiences of navigating and sustaining self-employment and business ownership, including the opportunities and challenges it poses, and the support required to setup and sustain their working lives
This qualitative research explores 27 disabled people’s experiences of navigating and sustaining self-employment (including business ownership for some), including the opportunities and challenges it poses, and the types of support and information they require to setup and sustain self-employment. For this study we sought to capture a mix of experiences of disabled people (including those with long-term health conditions) who were self-employed sole traders/freelancer workers or a business owner.
Background to this research
Disabled people are more likely to be working as self-employed compared to non-disabled people. A well-established evidence base has explored what motivates disabled people to take-on the risk of self-employment with flexibility, control and autonomy noted as key drivers. The desire to control working hours, type of work, and work environment enables disabled people to balance their health with the need for earnings. Rather than trying to fit into employment that is often inaccessible, emotionally and physically harmful, and felt as discriminatory, disabled people want to establish themselves as independent and successful entrepreneurs. In spite of this, we know very little about the source and quality of advice, support and funding available to disabled people to transition from inactivity, unemployment or employment into self-employment.
Aims
This research aims to address this situation by exploring disabled people’s perspectives about their experience of self-employment and business ownership.
Through interviews with 27 disabled people, advocates and other stakeholders during 2022, we developed new evidence on disabled people’s experience of self-employment.
We have used this evidence to develop recommendations to Government, with a particular emphasis on the role that Access to Work can have on delivering enabling self-employment opportunities.
What does this study involve?
This research consisted of a series of semi-structured interviews with 27 disabled people to ask them about their work, and about potential sources of support which might be available.
What has the study found so far?
Our findings highlight the multiple employment and financial disadvantages facing disabled self-employed workers, which may have considerable negative implications for their health, wellbeing, and economic independence:
The data revealed that self-employment offers control over the type, timing and place of work, and autonomy to organise work around impairments/health conditions. Most disabled self-employed people who took part in this project valued the freedom and flexibility that working for oneself offers, and this had positive impacts for their physical and mental health
Despite the benefits of self-employment, many were not being supported by Access to Work, and many were put off applying due to poor assessor attitudes
Access to Work is not widely known about amongst disabled self-employed people
Access to Work assessors also misunderstand the nature of self-employment which has a direct impact upon their willingness and ability to remove barriers
Grants and loans for disabled self-employed workers are hard to secure. Many had innovative business ideas, yet without access to funding and support those ambitions may never be realised and their business growth will be made more difficult
Peer-to-peer support from other disabled entrepreneurs is highly valued because of the shared lived-experience and awareness of obstacles and how to overcome them
Networking and business support services that are designed and delivered by those who have personal experience of disability are regarded as high quality
Participants perceive the benefit of a central information hub outlining all peer-mentorship networks, funding streams, advice and guidance on business support and further resources are needed to support disabled self-employed workers
Once papers from this research have been published they will be made available here.
Study team
Chief investigator
Dr Paula Holland (Lancaster University)
Co-investigators
Dr Cara Molyneux (Lancaster University)
Associated research staff
Jacqueline Winstanley (Universal Inclusion)
Centre institutions
Research partners
Further information
For any queries related to this work, please contact p.j.holland@lancaster.ac.uk