CHALLENGES & PROSPECTS FOR ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT & BLINDNESS ENGAGED IN SELFEMPLOYED VENTURES

Abstract

People with disabilities experience numerous barriers with regard to securing employment, thus, they are more likely to work for low wages, informally and precariously. Besides, some of them are entitled for a disability benefit which is often inadequate to cover their daily expenses (Global Disability Summit, 2018). Economic empowerment can be defined as a way of ensuring income security for people with disabilities to achieve income security, advance economically, enrich themselves through empowerment and autonomy to make economic decisions within and outside the home (Global Disability Summit, 2018). Self-employment is perceived as a viable option for empowering disabled individuals that facilitates achieving a balance between disability status and work life (Kitching, 2014; Pagán, 2009; Adams, et al., 2019). Pagán (2009) indicated the presence of a strong relationship between disability status and self-employment; thus, selfemployment rates were higher among people with disabilities compared to those who report no limitation in daily activities (Kitching, 2014; Pagán, 2009; Adams, et al., 2019). The Global Disability Summit (2018) indicates that obstacles to economic empowerment experienced by people with disabilities can vary depending on the nature of an individual’s impairment, their gender, socioeconomic status and the context in which they live. Adams, et al., (2019) further indicate that the decision to enter into self-employment for most disabled individuals were influenced by the ‘push’ factors such as lack of alternative employment opportunities, rather than the ‘pull’ factors such as passion or interest in a particular field, or the desire to work for themselves (Kitching, 2014; Adams, et al., 2019). Past research reveals that the disabled self-employed face significant problems in sustaining the business due to reasons such as consumer discrimination, inadequate training, poor access to information, absence of appropriate business support and challenges in accessing finance (Adams, et al., 2019; Kitching, 2014; Pagán, 2009; Vaziri, Schreiber, Wieching, & Wulf, 2014)