We don’t always want to be doing training and workshops with other disabled people but want to engage much more in society with everyone else. Gary McFarlane, Blue Badge Consultancy Ltd

Almost half – 46 per cent of black entrepreneurs with disability questioned in a recent survey said that it has become harder to do business in London in the last two or three years, while just 9 per cent think it has become easier.

The research commissioned by Business Link in London is part of a wider initiative to gain a greater understanding of the perceived challenges facing the disabled business community in the Capital. The results are based on 100 in-depth interviews conducted by telephone during February 2008 by independent research company, Loudhouse. One quarter of the total respondents where black entrepreneurs.

The study found that when setting up a business, other people’s attitudes and stereotypes were cited as the top challenge 82 per cent), followed by a perceived lack of specialised support and appropriate training and development (77 per cent) and personal discrimination (64 per cent). 77 per cent believe that businesses run by disabled entrepreneurs face greater barriers than other businesses.

Commenting on the research, Afsana Shukur, head of diversity and equality, Business Link in London said: “In a complex marketplace and with each disability and individual requiring unique support, the challenge lies not in the lack of appropriate suppliers or organisations out there but instead, in finding the right one to meet each individual’s needs. This is what Business Link is here for, to cut through the minefield of information available and make sure disabled entrepreneurs are knocking on the right doors to meet their business ambitions.”

Gary McFarlane, founder of Blue Badge Consultancy Ltd, a company that provides consultancy to help businesses better understand and meet the requirements of the disabled community ,said: “It’s about realising that we don’t always want to be doing training and workshops with other disabled people but want to engage much more in society with everyone else. With events such as the London 2012 Olympics and Para Olympics fast approaching, there’s no better time for disabled people to make full use of the advice and support that’s out there and do something great in business.”