Opinion

What Entrepreneurs, Baby Boomers and the Disability Community Have in Common

When I first said it," Disability Entrepreneur", I flinched a little. Can I say that? Is it taboo to even think about putting those two words together? Let me do my best to try to explain why Disability Entrepreneur is not only a great name -  but why I think we so desperately need more of them.

The Entrepreneur

In today's heated political environment, I think the word entrepreneur gets a bad rap. I will never understand this way of thinking because entrepreneurs create jobs which give people money, including the government through increased tax revenue.  Therefore, from my vantage point, I worry a lot less about people who are putting money into the system and much more about those groups competing for those dollars.

The Baby Boomer

Based on my reading as of late, right next to the unpopularity of the evil entrepreneur is the Baby Boomer. Yes, perhaps your mother, father, grandparent - maybe even you (I am) are counted in this now unpopular group.  I often tell my husband, the Boomers are like a snake eating a rat. You sit and watch as the encased rodent moves slowly, perhaps painfully, through the length of the snake until it is completely digested. Everywhere Boomers go, they press and push and move everyone else out of their way.

The Disability Community

Unfortunately, this analogy applies to the disability community too. I cannot think of a day where my Google Alert message doesn't include some kind of cut in services to the disabled. Why? Because you have fewer tax revenues coming in (reduced working population) at the very same time you have the largest population ever entering the most entitlement-rich era of their lives. Even as the disabled rate as a percentage of total population creeps up ever closer to 25%, it doesn't mean there are more and more kids with disabilities out there. The biggest chunk of the disabled population has always been the elderly, whose ranks are growing daily by the Boomers. The Boomers who have wealth and vote and have always been know to fight for what they believe is rightfully theirs. Which leaves us. Parents and family members of loved ones with disabilities fighting for entitlement dollars against a much stronger, more influential and wealthier people group. The odds are not in our favor.

What is the Pecking Order?

I became aware of the pecking order of state and federal budgets when I was an Appointee of former Governor Mitch Daniels in Indiana. Politicians like people who vote... and of course, babies - who don't vote but are too cute to pick on. The disability community is seen as takers and thus can be taken from without consequences. Painful to hear but unfortunately true.  Personally, I am no longer willing to play their game.

Entrepreneurship over Entitlement

Like all entrepreneurship, it isn't for everyone. But when ABC News puts out an article in 2013 that  "Out of 639 of the largest United States-based public companies analyzed, 31 percent indicated an interest in the market of people with disabilities, but only 7 percent of those backed up that interest with measurable efforts", it's time to say, "Houston, we have an....opportunity" not a problem. The disability community is estimated to have between $200 and $500 Billion in discretionary income. I will joyfully take out half of those dollars for uncovered medical expenses, which brings us down to $100 to $250 Billion. That is roughly equal to or more than McDonalds and Boeing's combined revenue. Now, do you want to tell me that the disability market is not a viable market segment? Better yet, how about instead of fighting against the Boomers, we take advantage of their ever-growing disability status. Honestly, what is wrong in wanting to stick our toes into the capitalism pool?

How Capitalism can help individuals with Special Needs

A great example?  Apple. They took what once cost thousands and thousands of dollars for a simple PECS communication device and turned it into a $199 communication device explosion. The disability community needs the competition which is created through capitalism if it is ever going to see better products at lower prices. Let's leave the majority of those entitlement dollars for those families that truly need them. In the end, that is my goal. That families won't have to wait for the OK from some bureaucratic agency to get what they need, because they can run to Target or order it online and get exactly what they need at a good price. I see nothing taboo in that.