During the State of the Union address, President Obama spoke about the entrepreneurial spirit and the future of the United States of America. He mentioned the importance of Americans' capitalism being the financial backbone of the USA where capitalism breeds entrepreneurship!
This is a breath of new hope as people with disabilities look towards opportunities of employment where often times getting hired by someone else is often a struggle, as is advancement of one's career. Many employers often look upon people with disabilities as an "unemployable commodity" or they offer work that does not capitalize on their actual skills, experience or educational background. Offering opportunities to work in menial and underpaid jobs has always been tolerated and deemed as acceptable.
But this option is not only demeaning but insulting to people with disabilities because their true net worth is discarded before even given the opportunity to flourish and demonstrate their true capacity for success. As such these types of external social and attitudinal barriers motivates many people with disabilities to take charge of their own future and pursue opportunities of entrepreneurship. President Obama speaks to this in his last address providing hope to all budding entrepreneurs despite their abilities - or so anticipated!
As noted by many people with disabilities they build businesses to employ themselves and to help society to become more inclusive and respective of diversity.
There are many examples of these types of businesses all across the United States. Just take a look at Linda Erb at OhGoodyGoody.com, who is building a local business website and showing her true magnificent entrepreneurial spirit.
Unfortunately, despite President Obama's commitment to brightening the future for many independently owned businesses in his 2011 State of the Union Address where he stated…"the prospects of a small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise. By the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to our children.” The reality for people with disabilities that reached out to "Startup America" was not as encouraging. Rather disappointingly different!
For example, let's take John's story.
As a very business savvy entrepreneur he approached "Startup America" as well as all of the businesses they listed as partners on their website.
He sent a long e-mail that identified his background, experience, and his vision of a new business opportunity. He was very excited about working with these businesses who publicly announced their commitment and interest to working with entrepreneurs to help the US economy recover.
However, as he and others are still awaiting a response from these companies they are starting to wonder if all was nothing more than a faint attempt to appease a frustrated and concerned nation hanging in the balance of huge national debt, rising unemployment, soaring interest rates and growing rates of poverty. One cannot stop from wondering if Startup America campaign was nothing more than simple rhetoric to delay the inevitable and in the interim offer the illusion of better and greater things to come to appease a nation of frustration and despair.
After all, according to John to this day not one of the businesses he approached provided even a courteous "No Thank You" reply.
The only response he did receive was from one nonprofit organization which could not help him because he did not reside in their state.
Startup America never did reply. Their website invested a lot of money to make it very attractive to the user. Too bad they did not use some of those funds for investing into prospective entrepreneurs that could help jolt the economy into a positive direction.
There are organizations out there willing to be supportive. The USBLN is an organization whose mission is “…the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor force and marketplace; assists in career preparation for and employment of people with disabilities, improves customer experiences for people with disabilities, and promotes the certification and growth of disability-owned business.”
They respond when called. So does CSAVR- the Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation. Their mission is “effective and efficient national program of public vocational rehabilitation services which empowers individuals with disabilities to achieve employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence…”
These two organizations are used to dealing with people, businesses and entrepreneurs. Startup America should reach out to them to find out how they can partner.
It's very discouraging for many people with great ideas and dreams to realize how naïve they were to believe in Startup America and that these big businesses really do want to support and collaborate with budding entrepreneurs especially those with disabilities that repeatedly are prevented from being hired and really have no other viable options to apply their talents except for working for themselves. It's too bad that Startup America does not even realize what they are missing! Maybe after President Obama's administration reads this blog they will realize more truly needs to be done!
To read more about John's experiences please visit: http://wp.me/pTbJ3-1F
This is a breath of new hope as people with disabilities look towards opportunities of employment where often times getting hired by someone else is often a struggle, as is advancement of one's career. Many employers often look upon people with disabilities as an "unemployable commodity" or they offer work that does not capitalize on their actual skills, experience or educational background. Offering opportunities to work in menial and underpaid jobs has always been tolerated and deemed as acceptable.
But this option is not only demeaning but insulting to people with disabilities because their true net worth is discarded before even given the opportunity to flourish and demonstrate their true capacity for success. As such these types of external social and attitudinal barriers motivates many people with disabilities to take charge of their own future and pursue opportunities of entrepreneurship. President Obama speaks to this in his last address providing hope to all budding entrepreneurs despite their abilities - or so anticipated!
As noted by many people with disabilities they build businesses to employ themselves and to help society to become more inclusive and respective of diversity.
There are many examples of these types of businesses all across the United States. Just take a look at Linda Erb at OhGoodyGoody.com, who is building a local business website and showing her true magnificent entrepreneurial spirit.
Unfortunately, despite President Obama's commitment to brightening the future for many independently owned businesses in his 2011 State of the Union Address where he stated…"the prospects of a small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise. By the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to our children.” The reality for people with disabilities that reached out to "Startup America" was not as encouraging. Rather disappointingly different!
For example, let's take John's story.
As a very business savvy entrepreneur he approached "Startup America" as well as all of the businesses they listed as partners on their website.
He sent a long e-mail that identified his background, experience, and his vision of a new business opportunity. He was very excited about working with these businesses who publicly announced their commitment and interest to working with entrepreneurs to help the US economy recover.
However, as he and others are still awaiting a response from these companies they are starting to wonder if all was nothing more than a faint attempt to appease a frustrated and concerned nation hanging in the balance of huge national debt, rising unemployment, soaring interest rates and growing rates of poverty. One cannot stop from wondering if Startup America campaign was nothing more than simple rhetoric to delay the inevitable and in the interim offer the illusion of better and greater things to come to appease a nation of frustration and despair.
After all, according to John to this day not one of the businesses he approached provided even a courteous "No Thank You" reply.
The only response he did receive was from one nonprofit organization which could not help him because he did not reside in their state.
Startup America never did reply. Their website invested a lot of money to make it very attractive to the user. Too bad they did not use some of those funds for investing into prospective entrepreneurs that could help jolt the economy into a positive direction.
There are organizations out there willing to be supportive. The USBLN is an organization whose mission is “…the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor force and marketplace; assists in career preparation for and employment of people with disabilities, improves customer experiences for people with disabilities, and promotes the certification and growth of disability-owned business.”
They respond when called. So does CSAVR- the Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation. Their mission is “effective and efficient national program of public vocational rehabilitation services which empowers individuals with disabilities to achieve employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence…”
These two organizations are used to dealing with people, businesses and entrepreneurs. Startup America should reach out to them to find out how they can partner.
It's very discouraging for many people with great ideas and dreams to realize how naïve they were to believe in Startup America and that these big businesses really do want to support and collaborate with budding entrepreneurs especially those with disabilities that repeatedly are prevented from being hired and really have no other viable options to apply their talents except for working for themselves. It's too bad that Startup America does not even realize what they are missing! Maybe after President Obama's administration reads this blog they will realize more truly needs to be done!
To read more about John's experiences please visit: http://wp.me/pTbJ3-1F
No comments:
Post a Comment