Ms Marion Wilkinson:

We know from our own research and the work that took place in Europe that 14% of people with a disability in employment are self-employed. This is a huge avenue and choice for people because of the control they have over hours worked, the type of work, and considerations related to everyday living.

Regarding the question on useful initiatives, Enterprise Ireland has done work with the likes of Izzy Wheels, which has outward-facing export figures. With regard to self-employed people who might also be called sole traders, there is a huge gap in supports available to them. One of the recommendations the NDA made in light of the review of the reasonable accommodation fund by the Department of Social Protection last year was that self-employed people with disabilities should be regarded as employers and have access to the fund. One way of envisaging that is in the context of a self-employed person who might need some assistive technology or a personal assistant. It might be framed as part of the reimagining of what the reasonable accommodation fund is about.

There is a gap not just in the social welfare space but also in accessing further education and training when your hours are limited to producing what you are producing or thinking to the future. In some ways the role and application of self-employment and sole trader have not really been examined within the bigger picture of what employment means. That stems from the way we have looked at this culturally. Again I would have to say that is changing with very successful entrepreneurs standing tall and saying this is what they need.