Resilience of Disabled Entrepreneurs in Ghana's Informal Sector

Most entrepreneurial activities conducted by entrepreneurs with disabilities occur in the informal business sector. Given the challenges they face in securing and maintaining decent jobs in the formal sector, the informal business sector serves as a crucial avenue for these entrepreneurs to exercise their economic rights. This chapter employs a qualitative, interpretive approach to explore the challenges, coping mechanisms, and entrepreneurial impact of 36 entrepreneurs with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments operating in the informal business sector across three regional capitals in Ghana. These entrepreneurs with physical disabilities (EPDs) are engaged in various activities, including trading, farming, production, electronics repair, construction, and information and communication technology services. Moreover, this chapter presents two key propositions from the interpretive data analysis framed within the social model, coping mechanisms, and subjective well-being frameworks. First, EPDs who reported low life satisfaction often coped with controllable challenges – such as attitudinal and communication barriers – in their entrepreneurial activities by employing emotion-oriented coping mechanisms. Conversely, EPDs who reported high life satisfaction typically coped with uncontrollable challenges – such as environmental, policy, and legislative barriers – using problem-oriented coping mechanisms. These findings provide valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers working towards the empowerment and societal inclusion of entrepreneurs with disabilities, contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 10.