A business owned by a Person with a Disability (PD)

A business owned by a Person with a Disability (PD) is a for profit enterprise, regardless of size, physically located in the United States or its trust territories which is at least 51 percent owned, controlled and operated by physically-challenged individuals. A person with a disability is defined as one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. A not-for-profit agency for persons with disabilities that is exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code is also considered a business owned by a person with a disability.

Person with a disability shall mean a person who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States and who has a medically diagnosed, severe physical or mental disability that results from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, burn injury, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, deafness, head injury, heart disease, hemiphegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders (including MS, stroke and epilepsy), paraplegia, quadriplegia and other spinal cord conditions, sickle cell anemia, specific learning disabilities, or end state renal failure disease; and substantially limits at least one of the major life activities such as mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance or work skills in terms of employability; or any other disability or combination of disabilities which is determined by an evaluation of rehabilitation potential to cause a comparable degree of substantial functional limitation similar to the specific list of disabilities listed above.

Information and Links:
Organizing A Business Plan
By Ohio State University.

Guidances:Ohio Governor's Council on People with Disabilities

To Start:
Starting a business in Ohio: Ohio Business Gateway To help you start a business legally. You can also go to this site: Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division

To go The 1st Stop Business Connection is a free state-level information needed to get started or continue on an entrepreneurial journey. This will provide a business information kit which contains the basics all business must know and the state-level regulations and forms specifically for your business.

Depending on the legal form of business such as Corporation, Sole Proprietorship, LLC or whatever, this will required a business person to register the business name as a legal entity with the The Secretary of State of Ohio's Business Services Webpage

Those who are intending doing a business that will collect sales tax, are required to register with Ohio Department of Taxation

Join Columbus' location SCORE is a volunteer organization that uses the skill and experience of retired executives to assist individuals with their decisions to begin or to operate small businesses. SCORE counseling sessions are usually held in SCORE office in downtown Columbus, 401 N. Front St., Suite 20

The Small Business Development Centers of Ohio (SBDC of Ohio) provide free, professional, in-depth and confidential business consulting and training to new and existing entrepreneurs For me, I live in Franklin County and my contact will be at The Ohio SBDC at Columbus State Community College.

For additional information, go to the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio's EntrepreneurOhio.org

State VR Agencies Expand Self-Employment Opportunities

Why do people with disabilities start their own businesses?