When people think about making money, they usually think of getting a job, which is a good way to go – stability. However, what about entrepreneurship? It may be a harder path to take because it involves spending time researching markets, understanding certain processes in business, accessing capital, and networking with the right people in your industry. The list goes on.

For me, being an entrepreneur is not only the path to becoming a millionaire, it is also a path to adding value to people’s lives by creating opportunities such as hiring persons with disabilities – like myself! Since I became paralyzed from Bacterial Spinal Meningitis at the age of fourteen, I’ve been receiving Social Security benefits that have enabled me to become a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and CEO of Ray Grand Apparel. Though I never wanted to stay on Social Security forever, the benefits have been a great resource for me to survive and have the majority of my needs met. Social Security income, however, isn’t enough for me to thrive and live a fulfilled life. I believe entrepreneurship is the gateway to financial freedom. Having personal experience overcoming challenges gives me the grit to stick it out through the tough times in my business.  Who wants to be a millionaire? I do and I’m sure most people do, however it requires sacrifice, discipline, hard work and of course entrepreneurship!  Some people may say starting a business may be too risky—finding enough capital and/or resources and I understand.  On the other hand, if you have a talent, are passionate about an idea, a social issue, or people, you have something that can help reconstruct our world in some capacity. Your talents, ideas, and passions can add value to someone’s life. You can turn your ideas into money when you invest quality time.

How did I start my business?

I thought to myself … there has to be a way that I could still receive Social Security benefits to meet my basic needs and work on my business without it affecting those benefits. As many individuals with disabilities know, the amount of money required for even daily health care supplies required to live is expensive. Aware of this challenge, I scheduled an appointment with my local Vocational Rehabilitation Office and met with my counselor to discuss my goals. She told me about PASS, which stands for Plan to Achieve Self-Support. PASS is a ‘work incentive’ for people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Social Security Income (SSI). PASS provides beneficiaries receiving social security benefits with a framework to develop a business plan, as well as setting aside money to advance toward achieving education or employment goals including jumpstarting a business. Yes! There is hope and I was about to make it happen – and so can you!

How did I survive in business throughout the years?

Starting a small business has its risks and rewards. There are a few things I’ve learned on how to maintain a successful business. Cultivating personal and business relationships helped me to build a network. I value all people regardless of their role or title in a company. Someone’s title should not dictate how you treat them. Measure someone based on their character and who they are. Every person matters. You never know what relationship may be your next million dollar deal.

It is also important to connect with your customers whether it’s through email, phone, or social media. Build a rapport with your customers and show them that you value them. Follow up with your customers and get feedback to make sure they are satisfied with your products and services.

You also want to set goals for your business. What is the purpose of your business, why does it exist, and how do you want to make a difference?  Your WHY is your purpose. Your purpose is your message. Your message is how you connect to your customer and then to the world. “Everybody has information, but very few connect.” – John Maxwell.

GOOD LUCK!

For more information on working
and social security benefits, contact the
Work Without Limits Benefits Counseling team

For tips on how to start your own business,
contact the U.S. Small Business Administration

Oftentimes when we are conducting disability etiquette and other similar training’s for employers, the first question we get is: what do you mean when you say disability? It’s a very good question because disability is different for everyone; it varies from person to person, and can change over time. It’s important to understand this in order to better serve employees, clients, and others involved in your business.  So, what do we mean when we say disability?

Disability is a broad term that includes a wide range of conditions that occur across the life span.  Apparent disabilities often come to mind first such as:

• Mobility impairments — for example, someone who uses a wheelchair
• Intellectual or developmental disabilities such as Down Syndrome
• Blindness

Disability also includes conditions that may not be apparent such as learning disabilities, low vision, chronic illnesses, and mental health conditions.

Did you know that 80% of people with disabilities acquire their disability sometime during their lifetime, and 20% are born with their disability?

People who are born with their disability may be more comfortable with their disability. It’s what they’ve known their whole life; it is part of who they are as a person.

For others, their disability may be new to them and they could be anywhere on the continuum of adjusting to a new way of life. Examples of this could include someone who sustains a spinal cord injury in a motor vehicle accident and now uses a wheelchair.  Or, it could be someone recently diagnosed with a mental health condition such as bipolar disorder or depression.

For persons who are newly diagnosed with a disability, they may go through a process of adjustment. Keep in mind that disability does not change a person; a person with a newly acquired disability is the same person they were before, therefore, it is important not to treat them any differently.

Also bear in mind that someone may acquire a disability mid-career. Their career may have been interrupted for a period of time while they were undergoing treatment or rehabilitation. Someone in this situation may be looking to re-enter the labor market after a period of absence. They may be looking to pick up where their career left off – in the same or similar position, with the same or similar employer, with or without an accommodation. Or, they may be looking for a job that is completely different from what they did before. Their disability could now prevent them from doing the job they did previously; they have been re-trained and are re-tooled for a new career. This also means they could be seeking an entry-level position even though they may be at an age where you’d expect them to be mid-career.

Another scenario may be someone who is looking to do a related position but not at the level they were at before. In this particular situation, a candidate may appear over-qualified.  An example of this may be someone who held a high-level position with a lot of responsibility and stress and who experienced a psychiatric illness. After treatment they decide to resume their career but in a role with less responsibility and stress in an attempt to be successful both at work and in their personal life.

Disability can also be age-related. Shifting perceptions of retirement, increased workplace flexibility and the aging of the baby boomer generation are all contributing to people working longer. Mature workers may develop disabilities as they age, or existing disabilities may become more significant.

Also, veterans who are returning from active military duty may have acquired a disability – or multiple disabilities, often caused by blast-related trauma. These can include physical, cognitive and psychological in nature.

Finally, people with disabilities cross all segments of the employee and candidate population. A person with a disability can be of any age, gender, race and ethnic background, and they can also be members of the LGBTQ community. People with disabilities come from all walks of life and are the only protected class of employees that any of us can join at any time. As a matter of fact, 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have or will experience a disability.

To learn more about disability etiquette
and other trainings we offer employers

If you would like to get involved with the
MA Business Leadership Network
to learn from and share with your peers

The Conference Board’s 2014 research report: Do Ask, Do Tell: Encouraging Employees with Disabilities to Self-Identify outlines what companies are doing and can do to build a disability-inclusive culture and encourage employees with disabilities to self-identify. Under the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, organizations with federal government contracts and their subcontractors are required to invite applicants (at pre-offer and post-offer) and employees (every five years) to self-identify as individuals with disabilities. Organizations must report their number of applicants and active employees with disabilities annually as a means to measure the effectiveness of their outreach and recruitment efforts. Regardless of OFCCP status, many organizations understand the intrinsic value of creating inclusive environments and encouraging self-identification (self-ID) to better understand and support their existing and future employee population. Ernst & Young (EY), Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare (HPHC), and Raytheon are three such employers doing tremendous work in this area.

Massachusetts Business Leadership Network (MABLN) members, EY, HPHC and Raytheon are all committed to letting their employees know that if their organization knows more about their people, they are better able to support their people…and in turn, their people are better able to support their customers. All advise that a self-ID campaign is not a standalone effort. Priority must first be given to establishing an inclusive environment where the safety and security of employee’s personal information is of utmost concern. “It must be clearly supported that there is an organizational commitment to enable people of all abilities to do their best work” states Lori Golden, EY’s Abilities Strategy Leader. To do this, Lori suggests employers first build a foundation of trust before asking employees to self-ID:

• Project an abilities-inclusive culture via images, messaging, sharing success stories and making constant connections to existing company efforts.
• Educate broadly and continually through implementing targeted trainings, providing general awareness via the company’s intranet, social media outlets and e-mail, offering abundant resources in variety of forms, and conducting community outreach.

These three employers agree – once an inclusive stage has been set, a successful self-ID campaign is more likely. EYs self-ID efforts are driven by three key principles and can be applied in any scale:

1. Holistic – adopt a multi-dimensional approach that works across diversity dimensions to make disability mainstream
2. Integrated – leverage existing processes and company initiatives
3. Positive – emphasis of self-ID stays off compliance, instead the focus is on beneficial aspects to employees

Keith Marion, Inclusion Program Manager at HPHC stresses the importance of collaborative communication before, during and after a self-ID campaign. HPHC implemented an internal chat group encouraging employees to ask questions that often stemmed from employee’s concern around the use of personal information. As a result, they implemented significant restrictions around the access of this confidential information and housed the data outside of the Human Resources department. In addition, HPHC has integrated self-ID surveys in the application process, new-hire correspondence, employee onboarding resources and beyond. As a result of such robust communication and data collection throughout an employee’s life-cycle, HPHC learned they had a high percentage of employees reporting sight-related disabilities and were able to quickly focus on sight-related supports in their workplace. “Focusing not only on what we communicate, but how we communicate has made a positive impact,” shares Keith, “We ask employees to take an innovative opportunity to voluntarily declare their difference to make us better”.

Karen Balcom, Sr. Manager, Enterprise Talent Acquisition at Raytheon suggests engaging employees at all levels of theorganization for the broadest self-ID campaign reach. Raytheon welcomed the support of their disability focused employee resource group (ERG). They created video vignettes that showcase the executive sponsors of their ERG explaining self-ID, where to self-ID and how to request accommodations if required. This cross functional and multi-level approach was positively received by employees. Karen looks forward to a “self-ID campaign no longer being a campaign, but a cultural norm.”

Though at different stages in their self-ID journey, EY, HPHC and Raytheon have made tremendous strides. All agree there is still work to be done, but the learnings about their employee base has not only bettered their inclusive culture, but improved their company’s overall acumen.

To join in the discussion with EY, HPHC and Raytheon around Self-ID and other topics of critical importance to increasing disability inclusion in your workplace, contact us to become a Sponsor of Worth Without Limits and member of the MABLN!

The beginning of the year is an extremely popular time for focusing on health and wellness. Many of us are making new year’s resolutions that include better diets and more exercise. Likewise, many companies kick off a new calendar year with fun challenges and competitions that promote healthy lifestyles among their workforce’s.

When planning your company’s Health and Wellness program, you will want to make sure that you are being truly inclusive of all your employees. It may be easier than you think to accommodate and include your employees with disabilities in wellness programs and other related activities. Here are some steps you can take to ensure the wellness program your company is planning is accessible for all:

1. Planning: Include people with disabilities on the planning committee and/or have them working closely with the coordinator. By incorporating people of all abilities, there is a very high chance that everyone will feel included in working towards a healthier lifestyle. If your company has a disability Employee Resource Group (ERG), this could be a great opportunity to leverage and partner with that particular ERG.
2. Marketing: Ensure all marketing materials represent all people. By including different types of people that may be employed at a company, including people with apparent disabilities, there is no question as to who can participate. It’s equally important that these materials are accessible to everyone, creating formats such as audio, picture-based, large print and accessible electronic.
3. Incentives: Another point to consider is including incentives, such as gift cards, prizes, and event tickets, that are geared toward people with a variety of abilities. The opportunity to sky dive, for example, may not be for everyone but a Visa card or gift certificate to a restaurant will most likely appeal to all.
4. Accessibility: Ensuring your place of business, where the wellness program is taking place, is accessible is another thing to think about and ensure. These two assessments, Inclusion Worksite Wellness and Community Health Inclusion Index, can be extremely helpful in ensuring a wellness program, building, event, and all other business related happenings are accessible.

Other areas to consider in achieving an accessible wellness program are:

• Providing a map of accessible routes to increase movement
• Implementing a smoke-free work environment
• Including healthy options in accessible vending machines
• Change a ‘Step Challenge’ to a ‘Movement Challenge’ by using pedometers to track movement instead of steps and having participants report on percentage increases instead of number of steps

Programs can be broader than simply a stair or step challenge, making wellness accessible to all.

Employee health is a great goal for companies to implement, and a fun way to start the New Year. When everyone is involved it will lead to a happier and healthier work environment!

If you want to learn more about how Work Without Limits can help
your company become more inclusive and diverse, please contact us today.