THE Government has announced changes to the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform’s Small Loans Guarantee Scheme to support small business, but will any of this really make a genuine difference to business start-ups and sole traders?

Leonard Cheshire Disability supports more than 1,200 disabled entrepreneurs in the UK through its Ready to Start programme but as yet there is still not enough targeted support for this group in the economic downturn.

For many disabled people wishing to work, self employment can be a practical option, giving people the flexibility to manage their impairment while earning a living. In fact, a recent Leonard Cheshire Disability study found a 6 per cent increase over the past year in the number of disabled people who were self employed.

Disabled people are already far less likely to be in work than non-disabled people, and with the job market in free fall, they will face even more barriers to finding paid employment.

If the Government wants to honour its commitment to supporting small business it needs to consider the needs of disabled entrepreneurs and act swiftly to help them weather the economic storm. After all, the start-ups of today will be the employers of the future.

Guy Parckar, public policy manager, Leonard Cheshire Disability.