Self-Employment for Artists with Disabilities

Self-Employment for Artists with Disabilities 

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# JAN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP FACT SHEET SERIES

**Self-employment for artists with disabilities**

# JAN, an ODEP-supported program, is a free information, consulting, and referral service providing resources on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other relevant laws, workplace accommodations for people with disabilities, and assistance with self-employment and small business development options. JAN’s consultants provide individualized technical assistance, consulting, and mentoring services to individuals with disabilities, family members, and service providers.  Each inquiry is handled on a case-by-case basis offering self-employment and small business development expertise and referrals regarding business planning, financing strategies, marketing research, disability-specific programs, income supports and benefits planning, e-commerce, independent contracting, home-based business options, and small business initiatives for disabled veterans.

For artists with disabilities, self-employment can be a viable and profitable career choice. In fact, careers in the arts, more so than many other vocational paths, lend themselves to independent and self-directed employment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 62 percent of artists and those in affiliated professions are self-employed. These occupational categories range from freelance artists to management professions. BLS’ *Occupational Outlook Handbook* (2008-09) anticipates that careers in the arts will grow faster than average, with a continuing need for talented and creative individuals in the various artistic sectors. Artists with disabilities have historically made important contributions in all areas of the arts including painting, sculpture, music, writing, and composing, to name but a few.  

**Famous Artists with Disabilities:**

· Claude Monet, painter with a visual impairment

· Flannery O’Connor, writer with lupus

· Dorothea Lange, photographer with polio

· Aretha Franklin, singer with diabetes

· Michael J. Fox, actor with Parkinson’s disease

· Hans Christian Andersen, writer with dyslexia

· James Earl Jones, actor with a speech impairment

· Walt Disney, cartoonist with a learning disability

· Eugene O’Neill, playwright with depression

· Itzhak Perlman, violinist and conductor with polio

**Self-Employed Careers in the Arts:**

· Founder of a theatre company

· Freelance author, playwright, or poet 

· Touring musician 

· Craft artist

· Arts and entertainment manager

· Composer

· Art consultant

· Jewelry designer

· Photographer

· Grant writer

# Potential Benefits of Self-Employment:

· Ability to incorporate accommodations

· Greater flexibility (e.g., workload, location, project-focused)

· Autonomy and self-sufficiency

· Option to work from home

· Potential for creativity and entrepreneurial spirit

· Investment in self

· Engagement in meaningful work

· Potential use of Social Security work incentives for increased financial stability

**Potential Challenges of Self-Employment:**

· General small business risks

· Financial concerns with benefits transition to work

· Funding and credit challenges

· Health insurance coverage issues

· Proper supports and agency cooperation

· Health challenges

· Lack of family support

**Self-Employment Resources Specifically for People with Disabilities:**

· Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - Entrepreneurship Resources http://AskJAN.org/entre/index.htm

· START-UP USA - Self-Employment Technical Assistance, Resources, & Training

http://www.start-up-usa.biz/ 

· The Abilities Fundhttp://www.abilitiesfund.org/ 

· Disability.gov - Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship

http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=38

· State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programshttp://AskJAN.org/cgi-win/TypeQuery.exe?902

# Assistance with Business Planning, Marketing, Mentoring, and One-On-One Counseling: 

# · Small Business Development Centers http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbdc/index.html

# · Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) http://www.score.org/index.html 

# · Women’s Business Centers http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/onlinewbc/index.html

· Micromentor.orghttps://www.micromentor.org/

# Financing Options for Self-Employment:

· Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services monies

· Microenterprise programs

· Asset development programs (e.g., Individual Development Accounts)

· Grant funding in the arts

· Social Security work incentives and related strategies

· Economic development programs

· Banks and credit unions

· Personal savings and family contributions

**Relevant Organizations:****Job Accommodation Network**

West Virginia University

PO Box 6080 

Morgantown, WV 26506-6080

Toll Free: (800)526-7234

TTY: (877)781-9403

Fax: (304)293-5407Job Accommodation Network

http://AskJAN.org/ 

Entrepreneurship Resources

http://AskJAN.org/entre/

**Office of Disability Employment Policy**

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-1303

Washington, DC 20210

Toll Free: (866)633-7365

TTY: (877)889-5627

Fax: (202)693-7888

http://www.dol.gov/odep/

**START-UP USA - Self-Employment Technical Assistance, Resources, & Training**

**VCU - RRTC**

1314 West Main Street

Richmond, Virginia 23284-2011

Direct: (804) 828-1851

TTY: (804) 828-2494

Fax: (804)828-2193

http://www.start-up-usa.biz/

**Resources for Artists with Disabilities:**

**VSA Arts**

818 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 600

Washington, DC 20006

Direct: (202)628-2800  

Toll Free: (800)933-8721  

TDD: (202)737-0645 

 Fax: (202)429-0868   

http://www.vsarts.org/ 

Putting Creativity to Work: Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities

http://www.vsarts.org/x630.xml 

Chapter 8 - The Self-Employment Option

http://www.vsarts.org/documents/resources/artists/careerguide/chapter8.pdf

**National Arts and Disability Center**

Tarjan Center University of California Los Angeles

300 UCLA Medical Plaza Suite #3310

Los Angeles, CA 90095-6967

Direct: (310)794-1141 

Fax: (310)794-1143 

http://nadc.ucla.edu/index.cfm**National Endowment for the Arts**1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20506

Direct: (202)682.5400

TTY: (202) 682-5496

http://www.nea.gov

**The Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center**http://www.ahirc.org/ 

Updated 7/13/09

This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (DOL079RP20426). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Self-Employment for Artists with Disabilities

Fact Sheet Series