A harsh reality of life is that it takes money to survive. You need money to pay for your food, shelter, health care, etc. Yes, there are social-service safety nets available for those unable to provide for themselves, but what parent dreams of that future for their child?
For parents of special needs children, that may be the only possible future they see for their children, but they should take a second look outside the proverbial box.
A good-paying, life-sustaining job that also provides health-care and retirement benefits is hard to come by even for those not dealing with disabilities. Employers are often hesitant to hire persons with disabilities because of the perceived expense, lowering of productivity rates, or fear of exposure to a liability lawsuit. Those that do offer employment often do so as a part-time minimum-wage position. Then there are those who will willingly use disabled persons as volunteers at their worksite with no intention of ever paying them a wage.
The parent looking down the road for their child needs to explore all possible ways for them to have the ability to earn a living. The more severe the impairment, the greater the challenge, but one often-overlooked way may work for all cases. That way is to establish a business that the person can participate in, possibly run, or at the very least, benefit from.
How can a disabled person operate a business when they are unable to secure even basic employment? The answer is to provide the supports necessary as part of the business structure.
Business owners use staff to do the work they cannot do themselves. This often starts with the creation of a business plan. Organizations like SCORE and the Small Business Administration can assist in developing a business plan, often for free. Businesses hire experts that possess the knowledge and skills that the owners may lack. They could be accountants, lawyers, or human resource officers. They also hire staff to do the actual work of the business, serving the customer or creating or delivering the product.
In any business, the idea is to determine an unmet need of the public and then provide for it. Many successful businesses do this by meeting the need of making people’s lives easier or more fun.
A delivery service makes people’s lives easier. A coffee shop with a large variety of blends and flavors adds to their joy. Both instances have been utilized as a means of employment for the disabled. The delivery service is more accurately described as a courier service that operates within the person’s town. They will pick up and deliver packages, in this case, assisted by a support staff. In the case of the coffee shop, it is a full-blown operation with both disabled and non-disabled persons providing an experience similar to what you would find at any coffee shop. They serve coffee, lattes, espresso, cappuccino, etc.
Other businesses that have been established include a lawn-care business, a bakery, a brewery, a paper-shredding business, a car wash, a snack vending route, a hydroponics vegetable-growing business, and a kettle popcorn business.
As with any business, decisions will have to be made as to how the business is structured and whether it should be incorporated or not. The advice of an attorney who deals with such matters is recommended.
The income generated by the businesses may be paid to the person or deposited into an account for which a family member can provide assistance in managing the money. Either way, the effort can provide for a meaningful work experience for the people involved.
The benefits of having work go beyond the income earned. Many of us find our work is also part of our social life. The work setting provides an opportunity to regularly interact with people outside our immediate family. Our horizon is broadened and new discoveries about life can happen.
Work also provides a sense of accomplishment. We participate in providing for our own needs. As a self-employed individual, you also can provide a job to another person who needs one. You become part of the local business community, enhancing the lives of those who live there.
Each of the above businesses started with the hope of enhancing the life of a person who struggled to find meaningful work. Some of the businesses are very basic, while others are complex ventures employing dozens or more people and requiring government approvals and licensing. Their existence is a testament to the families that were determined to succeed. Imagination, persistence, and a commitment to provide a better life for their family member is what yielded their birth and maintains their vitality.
If you have a family member living with a challenge, perhaps you should consider the possibility of having them start their own enterprise.
Dennis McGeehan
Dennis P. McGeehan is a husband, homeschooling Dad of eight, a Martial Artist, Freelance Writer, Author and Speaker. He is a member of the Catholic Writers Guild. His latest book is titled The Diaries of Joseph and Mary.
This is precisely what I’m thinking for my special needs son. It provides a much better future than welfare. Helps that he’s got a sizable inheritance large enough to buy a commercial building (or at least put a down payment on one).
The business he wants, I think could be very successful if done properly. An art gallery with maker spaces offered for rent. A maker space reserved for himself for legos (including using a CNC machine and a 3D printer to create unique off-market bricks).
He’s in high school right now. We’ve got 10 years before he comes into that inheritance. But he’s got a name for the place, and a logo, thanks to his marketing class, and I printed him up a bunch of business cards already.