10 years of Lord Sugar and the Apprentice.....Who has been conspicious by their absence?

I have been involved in an interesting little discussion about the said show on one on my Linked in Groups which all stemmed for this article on the BBC web site:

The Apprentice is back on television screens for its 10th series but there has never been a visibly disabled person in the programme. Why?

"Over the years The Apprentice has ensured an incredibly diverse group of candidates. There's always been a 50/50 gender split between men and women and a broad range of religions, sexualities, races and social backgrounds. ( I would like to add that I disagree with the diverse argument simply because disabled people conspicuous by their absence)

But disabilities do not get the same level of representation in the programme, there has never been a wheelchair user, deaf person or any visibly disabled person in the ten series.

With news that Conservative minister Lord Freud was recorded saying some disabled people were "not worth" the minimum wage, and at a time when many disabled people are being encouraged into work, it is arguably more important than ever that disabled people are given an opportunity to show they can be good workers who can compete in the jobs market.

"The truth is that there are loads of successful disabled businesspeople out there, and The Apprentice should be reflecting that," says Kath Sutherland, who runs START Ability Services, a business that gives advice to disabled entrepreneurs.

The Apprentice's aim is to pick out the best entrepreneurs from around the UK but employment figures show that disabled people are more likely to be self-employed than non-disabled people - 17% compared with 14% respectively, so the numbers are there".

My response:

People are chosen for their entertainment value not their entrepreneurial abilities. I would not throw my worst enemy into that show. I used to love this show but its just to painful to watch now. Its all ego and dog eat dog in my view. If these are the best entrepreneurs we have then this country is in deep doo doo.

The Apprentice is about entertainment not about supporting and developing entrepreneurs. Speaking as a disabled and dyslexic social entrepreneur, at least that's what I am told I am, there is little real support out there for dyslexic and disabled entrepreneurs. This is crazy when you consider that 35% of all entrepreneurs are dyslexic.

The above article itself indicates that disabled people are more likely to be self employed but I cannot find any data on disability and entrepreneurship. So support for disabled entrepreneurs is needed. 

But entrepreneurship may be the only way for many disabled people to gain employment. It might not earn us a fortune but it might be enough to keep us out of the tender mercies of the DWP and ATOS.

I would say that 95% or all the support out there the self employed and entrepreneurs is totally useless for dyslexic and disabled self employed people. Many such organisations have little or no understanding of accessibility issues, cursory disability and dyslexia awareness training, if any, and little to no empathy or understanding of the barriers disabled and dyslexic self employed or disabled people have to face and overcome.

If I were to ever make enough money from my social enterprise ventures the one thing I would do is set up something to support disabled and dyslexic entrepreneurs and self employed.

What is your response to this?