Technological University Dublin designed and delivered a customised online course on entrepreneurship for people with disabilities in 2021.
Ten people started their own business having participated in 'Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities'.
Such was its success that AIB agreed to fund further delivery of the course for three years, making it free for all successful applicants.
The option of self-employment is rarely mentioned as a career option for people with disabilities, but Professor Thomas Cooney from the College of Business at TU Dublin, said it is often a good option.
"Previously we had designed and delivered for different minority communities very successfully in the past and we thought this was something we could do for people with disabilities," Professor Cooney said.
"14% of the population self-identify as having a disability so this is a very large proportion of our population where self-employment is being ignored, so we just wanted to do something about it," he said.
The course is open to anyone who self-identifies as having a disability and wishes to start their own business.
However, the course is not suitable for someone who has already started their own business or who simply wants to learn about entrepreneurship. The course requires participants to have a business idea they wish to evaluate as a sustainable enterprise.
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"You have to have a business idea, and we are offering the opportunity to evaluate the viability of that business idea," he said.
The initiative was co-founded and is supported by the Open Doors Initiative.
This year's course will begin on September 20 and will take place each Wednesday for 12 weeks. Applications close on July 31.
