Chamber of Commerce for Persons with Disabilities, INC.

Mission:

To promote the business interests of businesses run by persons with disabilities and/or their direct caregivers (“Disability Businesses”) and to place businesses run by persons with disabilities on a level playing field with businesses run by others.

Vision:

For all Disability Businesses to be successful and for such businesses that are run by persons with disabilities to be treated by consumers in the same manner as businesses run by persons with no disabilities.

Strategic Plan:

1. Improve the Chamber membership’s geographic representation throughout Florida and the rest of the Southeast.
   • Establish strategic alliances with organizations that can help find members.
2. Grow Chamber membership.
   • Understand the needs of Disability Businesses.
   • Focus on the recruitment of members.
3. Membership retention based on value delivered to members.
   • Offer health insurance and other member benefits.
   • Market Disability Businesses to each other.
   • Educate members through newsletters, blogs, and webinars.
   • Offer resources to start businesses, including advertising opportunities and available financing.
4. Place Disability Businesses run by persons with disabilities on a level playing field with businesses run by others.
   • Convince businesses and other consumers that businesses run by persons with disabilities can provide goods and services equal quality to businesses run by others.
   • Establish a nationwide network of organizations with similar missions to the Chamber’s mission to provide power in numbers.
   • Convince the Federal government to include businesses run by persons with disabilities as disadvantaged business enterprises.
   • Work to improve the Ticket-to-Work program and other similar programs.
5. Staff the Chamber with the proper paid employees and volunteer employees to satisfy the other provisions of the strategic plan.
   • Locate persons who have expertise and a passion to help this organization achieve its mission.
   • Obtain grants to pay for the employment of qualified individuals who are disabled.
   • Offer incentives to persons who obtain funds.
   • Prepare an appropriate employment manual.
6. Obtain funds sufficient to satisfy the other provisions of the strategic plan.
   • Obtain funds from government and non-profits
   • Continue to sign-up sponsors.
   • Continue to sign-up paying members.
   • Perform services for funds
7. Seek feedback from members and implement appropriate ideas.

Member Benefits

The Chamber provides or will provide the following benefits:

1. Promotion of Disability Businesses for internal sales among Chamber Members and for sales to the general public. To increase membership and sales to the general public, the Chamber is implementing a grass roots campaign and a public relations campaign.
2. Promotion of Support Organizations by listing these organizations on this website and promoting the list.
3. Provision of media for Members to exchange expertise and ideas with one another.
4. Provision of resources for Disability Businesses to form and grow. These resources will include advice through newsletters and blogs on various areas, including law (e.g., corporate law, tax law, and labor law matters), finance, management, and marketing. The resources will also include information with respect to disabilities. In addition, the Chamber will offer a network of expert organizations that can help Members, both with respect to business issues (e.g., formation of a Disability Business) and disability issues.