* "Under a broad definition of disability, nearly one in five of the working-age population in private households in the United Kingdom is disabled . Out of a total of over 6.8 million, 3.6 million are men and 3.2 million are women.
Some 3.2 million disabled people are in employment in summer 2000, an employment rate of 47 per cent .This compares with an employment rate of 82 per cent for non-disabled people."

These are the facts according to the 2000 census. Although peoples perceptions of disability are changing gradually and businesses and workplaces are becoming more and more acessible to disabled people, ( in large part to the DDA) disability is often considered before the ability of an individual. This is true not only of the workplace (as the above statistics show) but also of society in general.

Self employment has many benefits for disabled people including being able to set your working hours around your individual needs (for example; shorter, more frequent sessions with rest periods in between) , adapting your workplace to align with your own specifications (e.g magnifying screens, height adjustible desks, a BSL interpreter) and more.

Through Bradnet ( a Bradford based disability service) and the Kickstart Project we aim to afford the same opportunities to disabled people as those who consider themselves as not having a disability. We will assist to remove any barriers due to disability by aiding with reasonable adjustments and liaising with other schemes available such as Access to work and the Test trading scheme.

With specialist support from Bradnet and the Business Enablement Project (contact: Lucy Veall) we will assist you in anything relating to your disability while Kickstarts very focused, personable and capable business advisors guide you through business inception to business startup and beyond. Together we will assist you in focusing on your abilities, as free of barriers as possible, and utilising those abilities to ensure a successful business within your capabilities.

If you have a disability or are in receipt of sickness benefits and would like to know more please contact Stephen John at Bradnet on 01274 224444 or email at stephen.john@bradnet.org.uk

* http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3999/is_200105/ai_n8943150