Work From Home?

Home-based businesses increase employment opportunities and competitive employment outcomes for people with disabilities with the right attributes and support. They reduce or eliminate employment barriers such as inadequate transportation, fatigue, emotional factors and inaccessible work environments. They can also remove the need for a personal assistant.

Let me tell you about one of our success stories. Have you had a great pizza, lately? IATP is proud to announce the recent opening of a pizzeria called Angel’s Place of Cicero, located in the western suburb of Chicago at 2521 South Central Avenue (708/329-1976). Angel’s Place of Cicero is owned and operated by John Garcia, an entrepreneur with a disability, an entrepreneur with commitment, perseverance, talent, and ability to pull together community resources. John is one to take notice.

John is one of the many entrepreneurs who has joined the estimated 20 million Americans owning home-based businesses. He is also one of the more than 5000 and growing number of successful vocational rehabilitation closures for self-employment. And in no time, he will be part of the more than 79% of small businesses that are operating after the initial 5 years. John will succeed because of his proven dedication and commitment to his venture, his creativity and his intuitive consideration of his community. However, another big factor in his success is being part of a team of resources available to all qualified Illinois residents with disabilities who, like John, dream or desire self-employment.

Resources such as the Self Employment Resource Network (SERN) & Health & Disability Advocates (HDA), Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC), Small Business Development Center (SBDC), IDHS-DRS/Vocational Rehabilitation Program (VR), Social Security Administration/Plan for Achieving Self-Support (SSA/PASS), IATP/Telework Loan Program and more have provided tremendous support and helped make John’s dream come true.

• SERN & HAD assisted in locating self-employment resources.
• CWIC assisted in showing John the impact of self-employment income on his disability benefits, both cash and medical.
• SBDC aided in preparing a business plan and providing over 50 hours of individual counseling and numerous workshops on topics such as Business Planning, Managing your Business, Access to Capital, Sales, Marketing and Protecting your Business.
• VR provided mentoring and guidance by taking a person centered approach based on John’s dream and input from the agencies mentioned, and approved a generous grant from its Business Enterprise Program (BEP) for John.
• SSA/PASS made roughly $22,000 in funds available.
• And, the IATP/Telework Loan Program loaned approximately $40,000 to
fund John’s dream of home-based business. This and SSA/PASS money were applied towards the 50% match needed to secure the BEP grant.


Under the IATP/Telework Loan Program, John’s business would have qualified as home-based business simply because the office where he will do most of his paperwork is at home. For John, though, his restaurant is attached to his home, so his is definitely working from home.

Today, working from home makes sense for John after retiring from his full time employment at Hines Veterans Hospital 13 years ago due to his disability. Now 46, John is partially paralyzed from the waist down after being stabbed in the back at the age of 21. Today, however, because of home-based business, fatigue is no longer a major barrier to employment. John can now control his own schedule, making the necessary accommodations when needed. At the recent opening ceremony, he told an interviewer from the town of Cicero: “I always wanted to work, but it was difficult to find a job that could accommodate my needs.”

You are going to enjoy Angel’s Place of Cicero for its excellent dining experience and comfortable atmosphere. There is a mouth watering choice of pizza and pasta and deli and grilled meats served fresh, hot or cold, and in a timely manner. There is even ice cream for dessert, and the restaurant is located next to a beautiful park with a swimming pool for children.

But foremost, Angel’s Place of Cicero is a great place to visit because of John Garcia. When you meet him, you will discover that, with individual strength, talent and available support and services, John has shown that working from home is a viable option for people with disabilities.

For more information on the resources mentioned above, please contact:
Eric Guidish, Telework Loan Program Coordinator
Illinois Assistive Technology Program
1 W. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 100
Springfield, IL 62701
(800)852-5110 (voice/tty)
(217)522-8067 (fax)
eguidish@iltech.org (e-mail)




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