Untouched Talent: A unique look at entrepreneurship through the lens of disability

Ibec Podcasts

Finding and sustaining work is a challenge for many people with disabilities, and often conversations around disabilities come from a place of reasonable accommodation rather than capturing the talent and innovation that many people with disabilities bring to their work. People with disabilities make up 13.5% of the population in Ireland, yet only 36.5% (of people aged 15-64 with a disability) are at work.

Ibec’s Founders campaign aims to establish an eco-system in which Irish entrepreneurial endeavours can thrive and prosper. In this episode of Ibec Voices, we look at entrepreneurship through the lens of disability, and consider the unique challenges individuals with a disability face when founding and sustaining a business.

Sharon Higgins, Ibec Executive Director of Membership and Sectors, is joined by Professor Thomas Cooney, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Technological University Dublin, Claire Kennelly, Managing Director of Inclusive World Training, and Noel Joyce, lecturer at New York University Shanghai. They discuss the substantial contribution to entrepreneurship and innovation those with a disability have, and how being innovative involves understanding and accepting divergent perspectives. The episode highlights how diverse backgrounds and experiences can yield insights that can challenge the status quo and create real value.

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