Self Employment Ideas for People With Disabilities

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People with disabilities and who want to achieve economic self-sufficiency might consider self-employment. The advantages of self-employment are many, and thanks to online and at-home freelancing, the prospect of finding work at a livable wage is better than it used to be.

Internet Marketing

The Internet is a marketing medium, and the opportunities for the disabled to pursue this type of self-employment are feasible. Internet marketing simply means to sell products or services using the Internet as a marketing tool rather than other traditional outlets such as radio or television, or incurring the expense of a brick and mortar retail location. The entry cost can be extremely low, with website hosting packages less than $10 monthly, as of April 2011, and a domain name about $10 annually. If even this modest outlay of cash is prohibitive, some methods don't even require a website.

Freelance Services

The self-employment field has long rewarded freelancers who provide various types of services from home. An arrangement like this could be perfect for a disabled person. Examples include medical transcription or website design, but there are many others. The website A Home-Based Business Online, for example, provides a list of more than 400 ideas.


A disabled person with an entrepreneurial spirit could open a brick-and-mortar retail business; consideration would of course need to be given to the size and scope of the operation, and how disabilities would impact the ability to carry on the business, particularly if there are physical challenges involved. However, many types of businesses would not pose a big problem for the physically challenged, such as insurance sales, financial advising, or other activities that require more mental than physical skills.


Consulting can be a rewarding and high-paying job for anyone, but especially so for the disabled. A consulting career allows a person to mold the work day to meet the particular challenges of the disability. Disabled consultants might choose to work from home or in an office, partner up or work alone, find a target niche that suits their skills, and enjoy an ultimately flexible work schedule. A consulting career offers the chance for a disabled person to enjoy good pay and a rewarding career.