My idea - please give me your opinion! — Scope | Disability forum
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My idea - please give me your opinion!

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elizabethk
elizabethk Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
edited October 2019 in Coffee lounge

Hello ?! Just to introduce myself, I'm Beth, a 25 year old with the body of a 75 year old. I've just arrived back from Harvard after a difficult year away from home at a disappointingly inaccessible university. I’m currently working with The Princes Trust, on an idea I developed at Harvard, on an idea to create a social enterprise for people with disabilities to find or continue work despite their personal circumstances.  

I believe that just because an individual may be unable to work in a conventional workplace, they do not lose their skillset, determination or desire to contribute and earn money. Therefore, I am developing this platform that will connect individuals with different types of employment. The employment will be in the form of: 

(a) Project/task-based work which individuals can perform remotely (b) a permanent job placement with a disability-friendly employer. 

Although I have a disability myself, I need to hear the thoughts and opinions of other people with disabilities to paint a better picture of a service which people would want and use. To progress to the next stage of the business venture, I need to prove that people might use the service, before I go full steam ahead claiming that this is a service everyone wants. I find it difficult to get out and about to do research in person, so would truly appreciate anyone who could take the time to let me know their thoughts on the following questions or just general feedback. All feedback will be useful.  

1)   Would you use this service?/Do you know anyone who might use this service? And if not, why?

2)   What would be your concerns in using this service?

3)   Would you want to use the service to find a permanent job placement as an employee of a disability-friendly employer OR to complete project/task-based work?  

4)   If you could complete project/task-based work and work part-time, would you rather work remotely? 

5)   What sort of project/task-based work would you like to do? (This can truly be anything –e.g. running errands, proofreading, transcribing, design, copywriting, providing analysis, coding, marketing, writing, etc.) 

6)   Have you ever worked as a freelancer and if so, how have you found work or employment? If not, why? What would be your main barriers?

7)   Have you ever used a talent platform (e.g. Upwork or Indeed) and how was your experience? How could it have been better?

8)   Any other thoughts or advice? 

Thank you so much for any feedback you can give, can’t tell you how greatly appreciated it is!

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Comments

  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community member Posts: 13,597 Disability Gamechanger
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    1) Yes

    2) I have found similar services to be patronising in the past. It is important to understand that putting aside the areas of life affected by disability, disabled people are just as capable as non-disabled people. It sounds like you already agree with this based on your stating that disabled people do not lose their skill set!

    3) I would like to complete project/task-based work. However I would also be happy if I could find a permanent job that I could do with my disability.

    4) Yes

    5) Accounts/bookkeeping, transcribing, writing, proofreading and editing appeal to me.

    6) No. I’m worried about representing myself in the big wide world of business. i.e. finding business and holding my own with customers.

    7) No

    8) This sounds like a great idea. I would love to be able to find work that accommodates my disabilities and would be interested in getting involved.  
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  • April2018mom
    April2018mom Posts: 2,882 Disability Gamechanger
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    This is a great idea! 
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  • mrbuttons
    mrbuttons Community member Posts: 221 Pioneering
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    i think your ideas are very sound in principal.
    i would like to see a legal safety net for disabled people to  be able to get their pre-work benefits if they try going to work and it falls through due to to their health problems or disability. im sure many more of us would try to get employment if that was the case.
    probably beyond they remit of your proposals but still an important consideration.
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  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @elizabethk, thank you for sharing this with us, I hope our members will be able to help you :)


    Scope

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  • elizabethk
    elizabethk Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
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    @66Mustang Thank you so much for providing that feedback, it's really so so helpful. (And I completely agree with you re. patronising services, it was actually one of the things which made me want to create this. I am determined that ‘disabled’ people be integrated into the future model of work, front and centre of the change, rather than a separate category added on at the end.)

    I will keep in touch with how it all goes in case you'd like to be involved! Thanks again! :blush:  
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  • elizabethk
    elizabethk Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
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    @mrbuttons Thank you, that is a really good point and something I've not yet worked out, I think I'll need government's help maybe, but is something I'm definitely aware of.  
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