Entrepreneur’s Ally : White House Backs Quadriplegic’s Job-Training Proposal

Don Krebs, a quadriplegic and budding entrepreneur in Newbury Park, has won White House support for a plan to wean other disabled people from welfare and disability insurance by helping them get back to work.

A leader in the disabled rights movement, Krebs has been a frequent guest at the White House. But two weeks ago a White House official called, asking Krebs to hurry with a proposal to set up job-training workshops for the disabled at area colleges.

The official, George Covington of Vice President Dan Quayle’s staff, wanted the proposal in hand today, when President Bush signs the Americans With Disabilities Act. Years in the making, the disabilities act guarantees the 43 million physically and mentally disabled Americans the same job rights and access to public facilities as other Americans.

“The White House is going to try to find the money for us,” said Krebs, who owns a mail-order business that sells sports and recreational equipment adapted for disabled people. His sports line includes such varied items as bowling balls with spring-loaded handles and sling-seats for disabled water-skiers.

Specifically, Krebs and his partner, A. Gregory Stone, have proposed a plan to help the disabled use existing government programs to secure job training, job placement or gain skills to start their own businesses.

“Don represents the best of the movement,” Covington said, “in which the disabled are playing a big part in setting policy on disability issues. We want to encourage people outside of Washington to come up with proposals to solve the problems we here in Washington haven’t been able to solve.”

Covington could not say if Krebs’ project would receive the $600,000 requested annually for five years. But he said it is being considered by the Small Business Administration and Social Security Administration.

“It is a proposal . . . long been needed,” Covington said. “It brings together the Small Business Administration, which now has tremendous interest in assisting the handicapped, with entrepreneurial projects.”

Krebs is amply qualified to teach other disabled people how to become entrepreneurs. His own business, Access to Recreation, began as a project for a master of business administration course at California Lutheran University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Krebs essentially created a mock version of his catalogue company.

Two and a half years ago, Krebs turned his concept into a working business. Last year, Access to Recreation sent catalogues to 25,000 disabled people worldwide. Although the business has yet to turn a profit, Krebs sees a promising beginning. He anticipates that this year’s gross sales will reach $200,000.

“They teach in business school that it takes three to five years for a new business to show a profit,” said Krebs, who lives off Social Security payments. “But I’m encouraged.”

It was one of the Social Security Administration’s work incentive programs that helped Krebs launch his business, providing about two-thirds of the money. The program allows Social Security recipients to collect benefits while they save their earnings for education, vocational training or starting a business.

In 1987, Krebs wrote a letter explaining his troubles as a disabled person using little-known government assistance programs to establish a small business. The letter was sent to President Reagan.

The President was impressed. He asked Krebs to submit recommendations to the President’s Disability Advisory Council on removing barriers that discourage recipients of Social Security Insurance and Disability Insurance from pursuing gainful employment.

With Stone’s help, Krebs developed his proposal to set up the training workshops at the University of Southern California, UCLA, Cal State Northridge and Moorpark College.

“Of the people who become disabled and enter the Social Security Disability Program, only 5% go back to work,” Krebs said. Polls show that about two-thirds of working-age Americans with disabilities were unemployed, and yet most said they would rather work than collect welfare, he said.

Such statistics have a personal meaning for Krebs, 35, who broke his neck 12 years ago during a water-skiing competition. He remains paralyzed from the chest down with only limited use of his fingers. Of the 80 people in his rehabilitation group, he is one of only three now working.

“I know so many quadriplegics--in the prime of their work life--who have got college degrees, but sit home and watch television because they are afraid to lose their medical benefits if they try to work,” he said.

There are 15,662 disabled adults and children in Ventura County receiving Social Security Insurance and Disability benefits, said Joe Giglio of the Social Security Administration.

And Covington said there are 2.5 million disabled college students nationally, an eightfold increase over the past five years.

Krebs hopes that his proposed project can bridge government hurdles by combing all government programs that can be used to train the disabled for employment.

“Even now,” Krebs said, “most people who advise the disabled at various colleges and government programs are not aware of opportunities for making the transition to the work force.”