SEDI offers innovative materials developed especially for people with disabilities who are considering self-employment. These resources also assist disability and business development organizations to better support aspiring entrepreneurs with disabilities on self-employment issues. Our program encourages community partnerships that will promote greater awareness of self-employment as a viable job option for people with disabilities.

For information on some of the issues that people with disabilities need to consider before deciding to become self-employed, download our collection of Self-Assessment Workbooks.

Our Business Plan Guide assists those who are ready to take the next step and develope comprehensive plan for their business idea.

Our Practitioners’ Guide offers disability and business counsellors important information on how to help people with disabilities explore opportunities for self-employment.

Our Resource Guide lists over 300 websites of government programs, business development groups and disability organizations throughout Ontario.

Building A Bridge to Self Employment for People with Disabilities Project

The Building A Bridge Project is supported by the Office of Learning Technologies of Human Resources and Social Development Canada's Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Directorate. Social and Enterprise Development Innovations is Project Manager, in partnership with: The Canadian Association of Business Incubators (CABI); and The Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations Inc. (OACFDC)

This 3-year Project (2005 to 2007) works with five Community Sites in 3 provinces to develop and test online self-employment resources and e-learning opportunities for people with disabilities interested in self-employment. To accomplish this objective the Project will develop Local Community Learning Networks in each community, that are comprised of business development organizations and disability organizations working to increase access to self-employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in their communities. The Project is being piloted across Canada in: Richmond and Nelson British Colombia; Thunder Bay and Sudbury Ontario; and, Halifax Nova Scotia.

During the first year of the Project, (2005) significant research was undertaken on: self-employment services for persons with disabilities; access to online technology by persons with disabilities; online training capacity of organizations serving persons with disabilities; and, information sharing among disability and business development organizations. This was accomplished by conducting community assets mapping workshops and follow-up focus groups with 170 participants representing community organizations in the Project's five Community Sites. Information and advice gathered was analyzed and has been used in the design of a website and the development of the resources provided on the website.

Focus Group Findings

The focus groups provided comments and advice about:

•  the Project objectives and design; self-employment services, opportunities and challenges for people with disabilities

•  the use of online technology by people with disabilities

•  online training capacity of disability and business development organizations

•  capacity building and information sharing among disability and business development organizations

Click to review the Focus Group Report.

The extensive and insightful advice provided by the focus groups has been widely used in the development of the Project web site, which will be available for use by the public in November 2006.

Other Project Research conducted includes:

A Literature Review to identify primarily web-based information that would inform the Project goals and provide possible resources. There are two distinct areas of focus. First, it identifies information and best practices from on-line resources available to assist people with disabilities in Canada in starting a business. Second, it identifies information and best practices from the field of community based training for developing E-Learning tools.

An important finding of Project Focus Groups was that the involvement of entrepreneurs with disabilities and other business people as mentors could be of significant assistance to persons with disabilities pursuing self-employment. Therefore, a review of best practices in establishing Online Mentoring was conducted.

As Co-ordinator/Administrator of the Program, SEDI gained valuable experience in developing and implementing:

• frameworks of delivery standards, procedures and targets based on identified best practices and principles
• selection of qualified Delivery Agents through calls for proposals
• monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure Program standards and the needs of Clients are met
• the implementation of Client agreements that respect privacy, freedom of information and learning contract principles
• data based tracking systems that record Clients' progress throughout their development process
• a full regime of budgetary and fiscal controls 

SEDI continues to use this valuable experience in the co-ordination and administration of programs and projects, and to build the capacity of other not-for-profit organizations to delivery successful services.