nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Disabled and wanting to be self employed

MrsBrodzig

Hey,
I'm Bryony. I'm 33 year old, disabled and parent of two.

Life and cost of living has been hard. So I've felt I'd look into being self employed but feel so lost and far to scared to risk messing up. But I'm sick of getting rejected from jobs and while I can't prove it I'm sure its due to me being disabled (and a assistance dog handler and mobility aid user). If you know the look you know and I'm sorry.

I have a lot of training and even train charity dogs for other people. So I'm thinking about going self employed as a Dog Trainer. But I know nothing about being self employment, or access to work. I've tried reading about it but I just don't understand it. I feel its very vague.

I'm autistic, and have other physical complex health needs. Most my important forms and banking is heavily handled/helped from my husband who works full time. I can't drive and would ideally like to hire a support worker to help get to clients.

any help or walk throughs would be great.

assistance dog photo for payment reading my stuff

WhatsApp Image 2025-03-08 at 10.10.13.jpeg

Giles is a French bulldog 4 years old and trained to deal with autism, and medical alert needs. He is with Canine Allies.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

durhamjaide2001

nice to meet you and congratulations for all of your hard work I would recommend that you look in the coffee lounge for a general chat or the games den for some fun

Stellar

Welcome! Your doggie looks cute.

Unfortunately, there's not much support for disabled people with complex needs to enter sustainable work, with the government actively seeking to undermine it via their policies.

Access to work, the scheme that exists to help disabled people pay for support workers, is being actively undermined with long waiting lists, cuts to rewards, and an application and renewal process that makes no sense.

As you've had trouble even reading about employment support, applying for it will just be more of the same. Self-employment is also a confusing nightmare on UC, even for fully abled people.

You're better off looking for part time, flexible work you can do from home, and consider returning to the idea of becoming a dog trainer in the future.