EP 13:Employment Opportunities and Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities

Today, Annette sits down with MacKenzie Mahoney of Special Needs Law Group. Both MacKenzie and Annette talk about their experience in attending and sponsoring the Raise The Bar Conference that promotes employment for individuals with disabilities in Massachusetts.

 

Annette and MacKenzie talk about current employment stats that apply to people with disabilities and the troubling trends associated with those numbers. They also talk about what’s being done at conferences such as Raise The Bar and some of the organizations that are making an impact with offering people with disabilities career options and growth.

 

MacKenzie speaks about some of the other offerings at the conference including what is being done to help people with disabilities prepare for job interviews, especially those on the autism spectrum. Those include advice on interviewing as well as preparing questions in advance for both applicant and potential employer.

 

Annette and MacKenzie take the discussion to the topic of entrepreneurship for individuals with disabilities and the pros and cons of entering into a business.

 

They discuss the different types of business formations, the legal requirements to be thinking of, the responsibility of a business owner, funding opportunities and requirements, property and intellectual property and how to gauge when it’s time to take on employees and the responsibility of hiring.

 

They also discuss the various ways in which help and assistance can be found including the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission; https://www.mass.gov/vocational-rehabilitation

 

You can also learn more about the guidance from Special Needs Law Group in this area at: https://specialneeds-law.com/