Self-Employment for Workers with Disabilities: An Underutilized, but Viable Option

Reports and Publications

August 2015

Erica McFadden



Consistent with national trends, Arizonans with disabilities are establishing businesses at a rate greater than those with no disabilities. Self-employment provides control, flexible scheduling, and individually-tailored jobs that are important to the success of workers  with disabilities - job assets not typically found in the traditional job market. But, despite the merits of entrepreneurialism, job seekers with disabilities rarely receive the information, supports and services to make this path a reality. This report highlights Arizona’s barriers to entrepreneurs for those both with and without disabilities, resources available to overcome some of these barriers, and what individuals are doing to be successful.