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LACK OF SUPPORT is forcing me to wind down my business as a self-employed photographer.
After a stroke caused by an undiagnosed heart condition when I was 33 left me unable to read or write, affected my speech and weakened the right side of my body, I set up a rehabilitative photography business with help from Headway Ireland.
I got back my self worth. It wasn’t about the money at all as I didn’t make any money at the start.
My disability allowance was changed to partial capacity benefit which reduced it by €50 a week. I decided to take the hit in order to improve my health, thinking maybe when my business develops, I can make money.
It took a lot of hard work but I built up my brand and in 2018 I was voted ‘Wedding Photographer of the Year’ by a national wedding magazine.
As a disabled entrepreneur, I am expected to compete with non-disabled competitors but it is not a level playing field.
If the paralympians competed with non-disabled people, they wouldn’t have a chance. But in the business world, we are supposed to compete with non-disabled people.
After a year of working, I realised my company would not be viable without support. This was not down to lack of demand for my work. It was because my costs were 30% higher than other photographers as I had to hire someone to help me with things that my disability wouldn’t let me do.
I never looked for support before my stroke but in order to keep my business, I need a personal assistant to help me with admin, drive me to weddings and carry my gear.
Over the past few years, I had numerous meetings with social welfare as well as the Local Enterprise Office, and contact with departments and Ministers. All with little success.
I feel ignored. I want to work and contribute to society but lack of support rather than my disability is preventing me from doing that.
It’s different for self-employed disabled business owners. If I was working for another photographer, the Government would help to pay my wages and training.
Over 52,000 people with disabilities were self-employed in Ireland, according to the 2016 census. This is just over 8% of people in Ireland who stated they had a disability.
I contributed to a report on entrepreneurship for people with disabilities by TU Dublin which was published earlier this year. In this report it found that there was a misalignment in current policy using the example that the National Disability Inclusion Strategy mentions employment 34 times but does not mention self-employment.
It also notes that people with disabilities face additional and distinctive challenges when becoming self-employed compared to non-disabled people.
Last month, in response to a Sinn Féin parliamentary question where my lack of support was highlighted, Employment Affairs and Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said “there does not seem to be a proper number of supports for people who have a disability and are entrepreneurs”.
In a follow-up written response, Doherty’s department said “the provision of personal assistant services for persons with disabilities is a matter which comes under the Health Service Executive (HSE)”.
Before the pandemic, the Government made a €20 million cut to disability services in the 2020 HSE Service Plan. With the pressure of Covid-19, I am not hopeful that my situation will improve any time soon.
I do not want my disability to hold me back but current strategy is preventing me from reaching my full potential.
I have weddings booked for the next two years and will slowly wind down at that stage. If the Government doesn’t provide me with relevant support, I can’t see a future for my business.
Eddie Hennessy is an award-winning wedding photographer based in County Cork.
SHUTTING THE DOOR Investigation
With the lowest rate of employment for people with disabilities in the EU, Ireland does not have a good track record in this area. Now with the added economic stresses of Covid-19, many campaigners are worried that the situation will only get worse.
The Noteworthy team want to do an in-depth investigation into whether the pandemic will make it even harder for people with disabilities to get jobs in Ireland and find out more about barriers encountered in terms of employment and entrepreneurship.
Here’s how to help support this proposal>
Well done Eddie .. Great story from a great bloke who never gave up hope
Well done Eddie. Great talent initiative and drive…
But business is business- it’s not meant to be fair. Business is all about market forces and competition. Every entrepreneur has abilities and disabilities- the govt cant be expected to support you and not the next guy.
So hire your driver/ assistant/extra pair of hands and figure out a way to leverage that employee as an asset to your business and not just a cost- for example can that person do your marketing, invoicing, VAT returns as well as driving and carrying the gear?
Not being unsympathetic but as self employed person myself- if I had a stroke tomorrow would some benefactor prop up my business and my family? No they wouldnt.
@Des Groome: Thanks your honesty and this is the attitude why PwD in Ireland but UNCRPD act 27 says differently and it implemented all over
@Des Groome: thanks for your honesty. The UNCDPR article 27 states otherwise and it’s implemented in most civilised countries. I was lucky enough to be self employed before I had the stroke and the services and supports and information in Ireland is focused on non disabled business people and most of it isn’t relevant for disabled business people. Not to be disrespectful but if you had a stroke tomorrow as you say I think you’d be looking at this in a totally different light. I’m certainly not looking for a benefactor to prop up my business and my family; I’m asking the government to recognise that as a disabled person I need extra support to enable me to look after my own business and my own family myself. You may think that disabled people should not receive extra support than that of non disabled people but to be fair most of the time they face more obstacles through no fault of their own.
@Des Groome: we can be decent and help people overcome barriers to support themselves and add value to their lives and others around them or we can be rabid capitalists and step over them in the street and applaud ourselves when we toss them crumbs
@Lorraine Mac Rory: if you read my comment again I make the point that everyone has abilities and disabilities. How do you pick out one entrepreneur for support over another. If you ever try to deal with the LEO or IDA or Enterprise Ireland yourself you will see that all the criteria for who gets grants and who doesnt are arbitrary and unfair and open to abuse.
And no if I had a stroke myself I wouldnt think differently.
@Des Groome: yes.. everyone has different abilities but a “disability” is entirely different. In fact, I think you might find there are medical and legal definitions for it. There also clearly defined groups in society who are marginalised including the disabled – again all clearly defined and deserving of additional support if we want a society that prioritises equality and community. Think of golf. They all have different abilities but only some get handicaps to level the playing field so they can play together. Let’s make sure everyone can play together
@Des Groome: disabled people need help that’s is it one of the hardest things I had to admit . I appreciate not everyone thinks that way.
@Lorraine Mac Rory: but pro golfers are all scratch. Business is like that. Only amateurs and racehorses are handicapped against each other. The competition authority have their own list of definitions about fair practices in business. Yes there are loads of tax breaks Eddie can avail of such as write offs and employment subsidies for his assistant.
@Des Groome: I’m guessing you have access to a mirror, you might want to take it down and have a
@Des Groome: No Des, nasty capitalist businesses are like that. Many other businesses value their contribution to society.
@Des Groome: and just to be clear Des you’re supporting my point. Pro- golfers don’t play with a handicap and for every one active pro-golfer how many “failed” golfers are there who couldn’t make it? As I said, that’s not the society I want to live in. I want to live in a society where the disabled and marginalised are helped lead productive and meaningful lives not left to scratch the barrel for the pickings of the “pros”.
@Des Groome: no tax breaks for my situation. I just want the government/revenue/banks to understand my situation. Your deal IDA Or LEO I didn’t. I could of made money by handing my company to my wife taking support for a disabled employee but I didn’t . I want disability entrepreneurs to be recognised by government like everywhere in the world . I want the government to invest in disabled entrepreneurs to have an option in this country to enhance our economy and to get disability people self worth back. The worldwide facts by supporting disabled entrepreneurs the economy benefits
@Des Groome: It’s about equity ! Grants are handed out to small businesses and start ups all the time . There needs to be provision to level the playing field for people with disabilities in terms of self employment . The attitude sadly is let’s just warehouse all our disabled and leave them on a welfare allowance for life . Oh and let them fight for basic therapies and service provision . Should a disabled person have the audacity to start a business or become self employed there is no support . Based largely on outdated views that disabled people aren’t “ really “ capable of achieving anything worthwhile or supporting themselves financially .
@Ellen Day: des groomes attitude is sadly the same as the government attitude as many others in Ireland. Im glad he brought it up but this way of horrific thinking has to be brought to the surface and educated those people like des let them know the facts that disabled people can contribute to society with a helping hand in Ireland like most modern countries
@Eddie Hennessy: I offered you some helpful advice about how to turn your business round. Just because you didnt like what you read you went on a personal attack… no need to. I am a pragmatist and business owner. You must decide if you want to run your business or be a campaigner but you wont have time to do both.
@Des Groome: your quiet entitled ur opinion but you saying disabled people don’t deserve support, I find it horrific and uneducated ….I wasn’t looking for advice?
@Eddie Hennessy: never said that. LEO and ISA etx are there for everyone and we all have strengths and weaknesses in ourselves and our businesses
@Des Groome: Strength and Weaknesses are different from non disabled and disabled but you don’t so? LEO aren’t there for everyone
@Des Groome: trength and Weaknesses are different from non disabled and disabled but you don’t think so? LEO aren’t there for everyone
@Des Groome: strength and Weaknesses are different from non disabled and disabled but you don’t think so? LEO aren’t there for everyone
As a fellow entrepreneur with a disability there are a couple of things I would like to point out. An unemployed person with a disability dependent on the state for living allowance, rent allowance, housing benefits package, travel allowance and medical card is a lot more costly than an independent entrepreneur with their own business that is more than likely to hire other people with disabilities. I’m setting out to improve the situation of people with disabilities. The Positive Ability Network is about getting more people with disabilities and their families into the workplace. It is time for change, we want nothing more than the right to be self supportive, as independent as we can possibly be and valued and respected by our peers. Yes we may need a bit more support to get there but society benefits by our independence and it costs you less in tax.
Thanks Maurice
You are awesome Eddie. So pleased to have met you and to know you and all the work that you are doing. You are an inspiration that needs to be listened to.
@Harry Moore: my sensei
USA for all its faults has federal supports for people with a disability who run a business.
Not easy running a business long term sick or with a disability. Non monetary supports such as assistance with business planning & development would go a long way.
@Gavin Tobin: I hear ya bother :)
I have kept your post Des Groome so I can show the world how people amble through life pushing people down without a jot of empathy, compassion towards fellow human beings, you might want to take it down in case your customers see how understanding you are towards there sick animals…
@David Dineen: on the contrary I offered Eddie advice on what type of employee to hire to compliment his own skill set and the skills his business needs.
And I don’t appreciate nasty chippy personalised remarks from you who ever you are.
I am not pushing anyone down. You are the one who has just done that.
I wanted to continue lecturing. but as a wheelchair user need a PA – The HSE refused. I had to give up work. This country STINKS for disabled people.
@Margaret Kennedy: so sorry
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