10 Highly Inspiring Disabled Entrepreneurs Who Have Defied the Odds

Creating a business from scratch takes long hours, creativity, and dedication to seeing the project succeed, and this requirement may seem difficult to even the strongest individuals. For people dealing with a disease, disability, or a physical limitation, the prospect of living an independent life and running one's own business could seem like an impossible mission. These 10 entrepreneurs have defied the odds and created businesses despite their limitations. Their stories are inspiration for everyone, whether physically disabled or not.

1. Ruth Cheesley & Virya Technologies

Dealing with significant issues of joint pain and exhaustion hasn't stopped Ruth Cheesley from creating her own company, Virya Technologies, where she spearheads website design. She spent a particularly active 27 years of life involved in everything from mountain climbing to hockey, but was suddenly unable to do anything but sleep and watch television with her fatigue.
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Through her amazing determination, she eventually found the strength to start her own business, offering information technology installations like network upgrades, computer maintenance, and server installations. www.viryatechnologies.com

2. Robin Kettle & Access All Areas

When a company must come up to code for disability access, Robin Kettle's company Access All Areas will audit the facilities and make sure that they abide by the Equality Act 2010. Even though Kettle is 52-years-old and due to a motorcycle accident is a tetraplegic bound to a wheelchair, he works all the time and is always on the go. He isn't content to do just one thing, however, and also maintains several websites, blogs regularly, and participates in a large online forum. www.access-auditing.com

3. Evelyn Salt and Inner Fyre Bespoke Jewelry

After a diagnosis of erythromelalgia, Evelyn Salt suffered for months with the debilitating effects of this rare nervous system disorder. When she decided to have a child with her husband, she was bedridden for four long months without the energy to move. Despite her lack of

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mobility, her mind was agile and racing for something to do, so she decided to start creating jewelry to keep occupied. This project eventually turned into her own business named Inner Fyre Bespoke Jewelry. Although she still suffers from her disorder, she runs the entire online business herself and even helps care for her young daughter. www.innerfyre.co.uk

4. Mark Esho & Easy Internet

Mark Esho took a huge chance when he decided to create his web business a decade ago by starting the company with funds from a credit card, but the gamble paid off, and his company now counts at least 50,000 customers a year. Esho's road to successful, independent business owner was made all the more difficult by the lingering effects of polio from when he was a child. Even though he gets tired frequently and is unable to walk significant distances, he runs a company that boasts over a 1 million a year and has famous clients like The Guardian newspaper. www.easy-internet.co.uk

5. Erasmus Habermann & Habermann Translation

Erasmus Habermann spends his days in a wheelchair due to

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Cerebral Palsy, but this limitation hasn't stopped him from starting his own online business, Habermann Translation. Born in Germany and living in England since 1999, the website specializes in translating anything from English to German and back again. Habermann decided to start his own business in 2009 after finding it hard to get a job when he graduated from university. Applying advanced business principles to his business, he suggests high quality and outstanding service are the best tools to create a successful company. www.habermanntranslation.com

6. Guy Harris & DisabledGear.com

Paralyzed at the waist with an L1 injury due to a problem with his kidneys, Guy Harris recently started DisabledGear.com after his disability inspired him to create a website that would help disabled individuals get the equipment and gear they needed. The unique aspect of Harris's site is that disabled individuals may find used equipment on the site, which can help get important equipment into the hands of extremely needy individuals. Harris has also become involved in other ventures related to disabled living such as the sale of jeans specifically made for individuals in wheelchairs. www.disabledgear.com

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7. Vanessa Heywood & Tiny Mites Music

Dealing with Multiple Sclerosis since 1995, Vanessa Heywood wasn't one to sit back and let the disease take over her life, even though she had to quit her job as an actress. An amazing single mom with musical talent, Heywood decided to put her efforts into the creation of a website aimed at providing live music to children called Tiny Mites Music. Her idea was so fresh and creative that she won a 50,000 check in London from an entrepreneurial gathering called Growing Business Awards. Tiny Mites Music offers music and characters created just for the website and the enjoyment of children. www.tinymitesmusic.com

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8. Clare Edwards & Trabasack

Even though a car accident put her in a wheel chair when she was a teenager, Clare Edwards found inspiration from the life of a fellow disabled person and created a unique travel bag that would be usable by individuals on wheels or who could walk without assistance. After seeing the struggles of a young boy with Dravet syndrome and the difficulties his family had in keeping him happy and healthy, Edwards knew that she could make the lives of other people better by creating special products for people with physical limitations. Her successful business, Equip-able Ltd., was begun in 2009, and her Trabasack design won multiple design awards. www.trabasack.com

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9. Dom Smith & Soundsphere Magazine

Dom Smith was told at a young age that he would lose the ability to walk by age 12 due to Cerebral Palsy, but he defied the odds living with this difficult disease and retained the ability to walk. Not only does he regularly travel around the United Kingdom on promotional tours, but he also manages and provides content for his very own business, Soundsphere Magazine. The rock music publication showcases talent from the area in north England, where he grew up. He credits his amazing journey to successful businessman with the support of his friends and family and his own determination to succeed. www.soundspheremag.com

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10. Shane Bratby & MobilityBuy

Although he suffers from Friedreich's Ataxia, a neurological condition, Shane Bratby hasn't allowed fear to take over his life and prevent him from experiencing success. Doctors told him he wouldn't live beyond the age of 25, and yet he's reached that age and beyond with grit and determination. Bratby's website, MobilityBuy.com, offers mobility aids to help disabled individuals lead a more independent life. Starting a business showcases an amazing dedication to success since Bratby had to leave school when he was young due to complications from his illness. Lack of education and a serious condition didn't stop Shane Bratby from creating his own successful business. Shane is co-founder, along with Dom Smith, of Disabled
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Entrepreneurs, which offers to inspire and support disabled people across the United Kingdom through Business Advice and Public Speaking, PR, Marketing and Copywriting. www.mobilitybuy.com

I'd like to say THANK YOU to everyone out there who is bold and courageous enough to keep pursuing your dreams and vision in your life. Thank you for not giving up; for not letting the naysayers bring you down; for being an inspiration for millions of people around the world that they can all achieve whatever greatness they can envision for their own life. Dare to be courageous in the pursuit of your inner dreams, goals and desires. Become the Designer of your own life instead of building the dreams of other people! -Nash Ryker I also coach people on how to have fun and earn a living online with blogging here. Feel free to add me on Facebook and connect with me personally at the info below! Nash Ryker

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Blog: http://blog.workwithnash.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nashryker Skype: nashvryker

Real Stories of Triumph Over Adversity

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