In recent years, TU Dublin has been delivering an online course called 'Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities' which runs for 12 weeks in Semester 1. The course is provided in collaboration with the Open Doors Initiative, and it is funded by AIB. Each iteration of the course has been oversubscribed and applications for this year's course are presently being accepted at https://www.tudublin.ie/explore/news/aib-and-tu-dublin-entrepreneurship-for-people-with-disabilities-programme.html. Earlier this year, the course was featured on the RTE programme 'Nationwide'. 

Given the success of this course as the only tailored enterprise support available for people with disabilities in Ireland and the research that has been undertaken over many years by the Institute for Minority Entrepreneurship on the topic, Prof Tom Cooney was invited to address the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters about the supports needed to assist people with disabilities into self-employment. Prof Cooney was asked to specifically detail the recommendations of the 2020 TU Dublin report 'PATHWAY TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN IRELAND' which offered evidence-based proposals that should be undertaken in Ireland.

The meeting was also addressed by Matt McCann and Eddie Hennessy, both of whom are entrepreneurs with disabilities. They discussed their lived experiences of starting a business, and the additional and distinctive challenges that they faced as people with disabilities. The Committee congratulated TU Dublin for its leadership in this area and stated that they will carefully consider the policy recommendations presented during the meeting.

Click here to view the meeting.