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If your loved one is talented in the area of painting or drawing, then I have GREAT news for you! Sell your art online! Your loved one can use their paintings and drawings to make money online.
Employment for persons with Down Syndrome continue to be a struggle. There are so many pieces to this puzzle called employment. In some countries, if a person with a disability earns minimum wage or higher, they lose certain government benefits…which sucks. Yet, a lot of our loved ones want that sense of independence…to make their own money (whatever the amount) and spend it how they wish. Therefore, depending on where you live, you have to do what’s best for your loved one.
Make Money Online
Redbubble.com
Redbubble is a website that artists can use and make money from their artistic expressions. Your art can be printed on a wide variety of high quality products (clothing, phone cases, canvas and framed art prints, etc.).
You get your own shop where you can display the products that you have chosen to put your artwork on. Persons visit your shop, make a purchase and chi-ching…you got money in the bank!
Pros:
- Signing up is free
- You retain the right to your artwork
- No inventory (no need for you to be storing products in your living room). Redbubble handles the payment, printing, shipping & customer service (e.g. if the customer has an issue with their purchase).
- You choose the amount of money you make. Each product has a base price. You choose the margin to add to this base price, thus the amount of money you make.
- You do not have to deal with the hassle that comes with maintaining your own e-commerce website: hosting, buying a theme, legal requirements: having a privacy policy, cookie policy, terms of use, disclaimer, etc., ensuring payment gateways are on your website, etc.
Cons:
- Your shop is not your own personal website address. It’s a Redbubble address. However, if you have your own website address, you can connect this with the Redbubble shop address, so that persons can go to your personal website and be re-directed to your Redbubble shop.
Meet Shadeeza Buckley
Shadeeza is an adult with Down Syndrome. She lives on the beautiful island of Jamaica, where she paints, loves to dance and frequently changes the colour of her hair.
Her family needed to find a way to make her artwork available, so that whomever wanted to support her, could easily purchase her art. This is where Redbubble came in. You can check out Shadeeza at:
- Website: www.shadeezabuckley.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadeezabuckley/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shadeezabuckley/
- Facebook: Shadeeza Buckley | Facebook
Entrepreneurship May Be the Answer
Not all of our loved ones will be able to have a regular job, working set hours. The answer for some of our loved ones will be entrepreneurship. It’s a great feeling for your loved one to know that they have a talent and this talent can be converted to income. It helps with their independence and their self-worth/self-confidence.
So, check out Redbubble.com and see if it can work for your family. We here at HappyDowns wish you all the best!
Having Down Syndrome changes a lot of things but not creativity and the willingness to do more. This is a great post, with information that families should take note of. Well done to Redbubble for setting up such a platform that enables everyone to make a living from their artwork.
Hi Rodarrick,
I agree that Redbubble has indeed created a great platform that promotes equal opportunity for all.
Cheers!
Art is a great way for persons of all abilities to make money online. Redbubble has done a good job here…creating this avenue for persons to earn a living. The products on their website appear to be of good quality and the variety is amazing! All persons with DS, who have a creative side to them should definitely check this out!
Agreed!
Oftentimes we look to the government to help persons with disabilities, but many times the government can only do so much (for whatever reasons). It is good when we can find ways to help ourselves. Kudos to Redbubble for creating this avenue so that ALL persons who are creative have the opportunity to turn their talent into income.
Indeed Roslinecar! Couldn’t agree with you more.
To know that this opportunity for persons with Down Syndrome exist, is wonderful. Oftentimes, I hear about how persons with disabilities struggle to find employment, so it is great to know that opportunities are starting to present themselves so that everyone can make money. It’s also great that entrepreneurial opportunities are presenting themselves, as not everyone can do a 9 to 5.
Great point Wildecoll! Indeed a regular job is not for everyone (disability or not). I personally believe that we should do what we can as a society to help more persons with Down Syndrome become successful entrepreneurs.