Women’s History Month: Highlighting Small Businesses
This is a special post written by Charles Warren, Curriculum Developer at Triangle. Charlie is also a member of Triangle’s Racial Equity Committee (REC) and Disability Justice Task Force (DJTF). As part of our commitment to the work of the REC and DJTF, we will be sharing more information with you on subjects related to racial equity and disability justice. This post continues our series dedicated to calling attention to the contributions of people with disabilities to American history.
This week for Women’s History Month, we are celebrating women with disabilities who run small businesses. Running your own business offers many benefits for people with disabilities. These include increased flexibility and control of scheduling and work environment, potential for financial independence and stability, and the personal satisfaction of creating a small business from the ground up. There are over 33 million small businesses in the United States, and about 3% of them are owned by people with disabilities. Figures for the number of women with disabilities aren’t precise, but figures from the National Disability Institute indicate about 2.9% of small business owners are women with disabilities. The US Small Business Administration offers various loan programs including loans and microloans which can be helpful for bringing a business plan into reality.
Collette Divitto is a woman with Down syndrome who started Collettey’s Cookies in the Boston area. Collette and her company have been featured on television and in magazines, employs people with disabilities, and has sold over $400,000 in cookies. She has a long-term goal of working with lawmakers to create policies that improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
SarahCate and Kris, business partners who are women with disabilities, started Pretty Sick Supply, a hub for finding medical gear that is aesthetically pleasing. The range of products is tremendous and covers the needs of many different disability communities. For many people with disabilities, medical and accessibility gear is used every day. Creating options for fashionable versions of functional products like compression sleeves, support canes, planners and organizers, and oxygen concentrator bags is an awesome project.
Jesica Z. Rodriquez is a Deaf woman and the founder of JeZoe, a business specializing in handmade natural soaps produced in Puerto Rico. She prides herself on boosting the local economy, utilizing natural ingredients, and increasing disability awareness by incorporating sign language into her advertising and packaging.