Entrepreneurs with disabilities activate allies, rewrite the narrative

By KELSEY SHEEHY of NerdWallet

Roughly 1.8 million businesses in the U.S. are owned by someone with a disability, according to the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. And while the path to entrepreneurship is rarely easy, business owners with disabilities often need to overcome additional challenges, like societal misconceptions, barriers to financing and extra living costs, among other things. Community development financial institutions like DreamSpring and the Disability Opportunity Fund are working to get business loans to more entrepreneurs with disabilities. And organizations like 2Gether-International, a startup incubator for disabled founders, and the National Disability Institute offer business coaching resources and community with peers.