Entrepreneurship has become an alternative to unemployment and other challenges posed for those with physical disabilities. Previous literature has studied the benefits of disabled entrepreneurship on these marginalized groups, however there is a lack of study on the positive mechanisms that foster personal and entrepreneurial outcomes. This study aims to explain how challenges can be overcome by the implementation of support systems that provide people with physical disabilities tailored solutions to the before mentioned challenges. This research presents an in-depth analysis of 13 cases of disabled entrepreneurs, providing a framework that categorizes the elements based on its nature: challenges, support systems and outcomes, and a suggested model which will help understand the relationship between the supportive systems and outcomes in the way of allowing them to overcome limitations.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. LITERATURE REVIEW 3
2.1 The Social Model of Disability 3
2.2 Disabled Entrepreneurship 5
2.3 A Model of Challenged-Based Entrepreneurship 7
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 9
3.1 Research Objectives 9
3.2 Research Design 10
3.3 Sample Description 13
3.4 Data Collection 14
3.5 Data Analysis 15
4. FINDINGS 16
4.1 Limiting Factors 21
4.1.1 External Limiting Factors 21
4.1.2 Internal Limiting Factors 25
4.2 Support Systems 26
4.2.1 External Support Systems 26
4.2.2 Internal Support Systems 30
5. MECHANISMS 36
5.1 The CARE Model 37
6. CONCLUSIONS 41
6.1 Practical Implications 42
REFERENCES 43














LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Definitions from the Social Model of Disability (Makin et al., 2001) 4
Table 2. Four Worldviews (Creswell, 2013) 11
Table 3. Data Sources (Participants) 13
Table 4. Elements, themes, concepts and representative data 17
Table 5. Categorization of Business Types 35

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Social Model (Makin et al., 2001) 3
Figure 2. A Model of Challenged Based Entrepreneurship (Miller & Bretton-Miller, 2017) 8
Figure 3. Theoretical Framework 12
Figure 4. A Model of Challenges – Alternatives – REsults (CARE) 40

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