Welcome to Abilicorp Oct. 2009

Welcome to Abilicorp Oct. 2009

Welcome to Abilicorp! You are now officially Abilicorp Associates. An Abilicorp Associate is someone who

1. Has found a job through Abilicorp or
2. Is working on a contract for Abilicorp or
3. Is actively looking for work through Abilicorp.

I’d like to introduce myself, and I hope you will do likewise. I’m Neil Jacobson. I am the founder and CEO of Abilicorp. My bio is on our website. I have a significant disability caused by Cerebral Palsy which results in my having very slurred speech, requires me to use a powered wheelchair and necessitates that I do activities of daily living in creative ways. My wife’s name is Denise, and our son is David.

For many years, I’ve wanted to see for-profit companies run by people with disabilities whose mission it was to enhance the economic independence of people with disabilities. In my lifetime, people with disabilities have made tremendous progress in all areas except for financial independence. We have wonderful laws including 504, ADA and IDEA. Our physical environment is much more accessible. We do have more control over our lives, and we are better educated. However, despite all this, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities still hovers around 70% - the same as it was in the 1950s. I want Abilicorp to move that needle.

I urge you to get engaged with Abilicorp. Work with Abilicorp to find jobs. Work with us to match people with disabilities with employment in their communities. Often it’s easier finding work for others than it is finding work for oneself. If you, or someone you know, enjoy getting to know local business owners, consider finding jobs for people with disabilities through Abilicorp. If you or someone you know enjoys mentoring, consider being a Personal Advisor. If you or someone you know are hiring someone, think about hiring a person with a disability through Abilicorp. If you or someone you know wants to sell your product or services through Abilicorp, let’s talk. If you want other ideas about how to get involved with Abilicorp, ask us. If you have ideas about how to get involved, tell us. Work done for Abilicorp will be compensated, usually on a commission basis. Abilicorp has a stock option program and, once we are profitable, we will have a profit sharing program. We want you to make Abilicorp your company!

Most importantly, communicate with each other. Use this listserve and AbiliNet.net to let us all know who you are, your work experiences, needs, wants and desires. Share work experiences and work opportunities. Talk about the good, bad and the ugly.

I look forward to getting to know and working with all of you!