The UK’s first National Ablepreneurs Day takes place on Wednesday 16 September 2026, bringing together disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent entrepreneurs. The founding event in Shrewsbury will focus on lived experience, accessible networking and the barriers disabled founders can face when building and running businesses.
National Ablepreneurs Day 2026: Key Details for Disabled Entrepreneurs
| Key takeaway | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday 16 September 2026 |
| Time | 10am to 2pm |
| Venue | The Wroxeter Hotel, Wroxeter, Shrewsbury |
| Who can attend? | Disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent entrepreneurs are central to the event, but you do not need to run a business to attend. |
| Accessibility | Accessible toilets and parking, seating, regular comfort breaks, flexible attendance and a dedicated Calm Space are available. |
| Tickets | Tickets for the 2026 introduction event are free and available through Eventbrite. |
| What happens next? | Organisers describe 2026 as the founding year ahead of a planned full national launch in 2027. |
The UK’s first National Ablepreneurs Day takes place on Wednesday 16 September 2026, celebrating disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent entrepreneurs across the country.
The introduction event runs from 10am to 2pm at The Wroxeter Hotel in Wroxeter, Shrewsbury, which has joined the initiative as its official venue partner.
Organisers describe 2026 as the founding year: a smaller gathering intended to establish the foundations for a full national launch in 2027.
Why Was National Ablepreneurs Day Created?
Founder Helen Pugh created Ablepreneurs® after her own experience of running a business with chronic illness and seeing talented founders disappear from public view because traditional ideas about entrepreneurship did not account for different ways of working.
Helen also traces part of the thinking behind the movement to her grandmother, Emily Kathleen Renshaw, who had a leg amputated at the age of seven following a medical mistake. She lived at a time when disabled people had far fewer legal protections and accessibility provisions than they do today.
That family history sits alongside her own experience of the structural and practical barriers that disabled and chronically ill entrepreneurs can encounter.
Her guiding message for Ablepreneurs is: “Talent doesn’t fade with disability or illness; it just needs the right environment to shine.”
That focus on the environment matters. Disabled entrepreneurs can have the ideas, knowledge and business skills they need while still encountering inaccessible workplaces, rigid schedules, networking events that do not account for access requirements and assumptions about what an entrepreneur is supposed to look or work like.
How Will National Ablepreneurs Day Be Accessible?
Accessibility has been considered as part of the event rather than leaving individual attendees to work around an inaccessible format.
The venue has accessible toilets and accessible parking, while seating will be available throughout the event. Regular comfort breaks are built into the schedule.
Attendees with fluctuating health or energy levels can arrive late, leave early or step out when they need to. They are not expected to remain for every part of the programme.
Calm Space for sensory and health needs
The event also includes a dedicated Calm Space: a quiet area for anyone who needs time away from conversation, activity or sensory input during the day.
Staff will be nearby if support is wanted, but there is no expectation to interact.
100 Disabled Entrepreneurs Share Their Business Stories
Ahead of National Ablepreneurs Day, organisers are building a library of first-person accounts on the official National Ablepreneurs Day campaign page.
The target is to publish 100 stories from 100 disabled entrepreneurs by 16 September.
Contributors published so far include Martyn Sibley of Purple Goat Agency, Vicky Jones, Kerise Myers, Josie Hescott, Amanda Mckinlay, Gemma Davies, Kim Moey, Stacey Standing, Bianca Vickers, Jodie Rafferty, Denise McGowan, Jeannette Jones, Donna Richardson, Alyce King and Bianca Brathwaite.
The accounts cover different experiences of entrepreneurship and disability, chronic illness and neurodivergence, including fibromyalgia, PMDD, acquired disability and neurodivergence.
First-person accounts are particularly important here because there is no single disabled entrepreneur experience. Access requirements, financial circumstances, health, discrimination, available support and the type of business someone runs can all affect how they work.
Disabled Entrepreneur Dr Mark Esho MBE to Speak at the Event
Confirmed speakers include Dr Mark Esho MBE, a disabled entrepreneur who founded Easy Internet Services and Easy Internet Solutions.
Esho contracted polio at the age of five and later encountered discrimination as a Black disabled man. Post-polio syndrome also affected his finance career, and in 1999 he began teaching himself web design before going on to build a seven-figure business.
He received an MBE for services to business in 2022 and later a Doctor of Business Administration from De Montfort University. He is the author of the memoir I Can. I Will. and founder of The Circle Foundation, which connects disabled entrepreneurs with business mentoring.
His appearance also places National Ablepreneurs Day within a much longer history of disabled people creating businesses, products and services while dealing with inaccessible systems and low expectations.
Disability Horizons has documented many of these experiences over the years, including the stories of disabled entrepreneurs who have turned lived experience into businesses and practical products.
How Can You Attend National Ablepreneurs Day 2026?
The National Ablepreneurs Day introduction event takes place from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday 16 September 2026 at The Wroxeter Hotel in Wroxeter, Shrewsbury.
Tickets are free and available through Eventbrite.
You do not need to already run a business to attend. People interested in learning, supporting disabled entrepreneurs, meeting others or considering entrepreneurship in the future are also welcome.
People who cannot attend can get involved by sharing their own business story, supporting disabled-owned businesses or following the campaign using #AblepreneursDay.
Frequently Asked Questions About National Ablepreneurs Day 2026
Is the National Ablepreneurs Day venue accessible?
Yes. Accessibility was an important consideration when choosing the venue. The Wroxeter Hotel has accessible toilets and accessible parking. Seating, regular breaks and a dedicated Calm Space will also be available.
If you have a specific access requirement, contact the organisers before attending so you can check whether the venue and arrangements meet your needs.
Do I need to be an entrepreneur to attend National Ablepreneurs Day?
No. You do not need to run a business to attend. People can also come to learn, meet others, support disabled entrepreneurs, make connections or explore the possibility of starting a business in the future.
Will there be breaks during the event?
Yes. Regular comfort breaks are included in the schedule. There will also be a Calm Space for people who need time away from conversation, activity or sensory input.
Can I attend if I have fluctuating or unpredictable health?
Yes. The event has been planned with fluctuating health and energy levels in mind. You can arrive late, leave early, step out when needed or use the Calm Space.
You do not have to stay for the whole event to take part.
Will seating be available throughout National Ablepreneurs Day?
Yes. Seating will be available for attendees, with priority seating for people who need a particular position, greater stability, easier access or a lower-sensory place to sit.
Can I bring a support worker, personal assistant or carer?
Yes. Support workers, personal assistants and carers are welcome. Please book them a ticket alongside your own so the organisers have accurate numbers and can plan the space accordingly.
Can organisations sponsor or partner with National Ablepreneurs Day?
Yes. The organisers welcome enquiries from potential sponsors, media partners, accessibility advocates, business networks and other organisations interested in supporting the event.
Partnership enquiries can be sent to hello@ablepreneurs.co.uk.
Will food and drinks be available?
Tea, coffee, biscuits and light table refreshments will be provided.
Attendees are welcome to bring their own food or snacks if they have particular dietary, access, energy or health requirements.
Further Reading: Helen Pugh’s Books
Disability Horizons wasn’t paid to feature Helen’s books here — we’re covering National Ablepreneurs Day because it’s a cause close to our own mission of supporting disabled entrepreneurs. However, the links to Helen’s books below are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep Disability Horizons running and lets us keep supporting founders like Helen. Thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
Writing as “The Spoonie Author,” Helen has built a series of books underpinning the Ablepreneurs philosophy, all available on Amazon:
- The Ablepreneur Advantage: Building A Business That Works With Your Body And Brain — the book that started the movement, challenging the entrepreneurial myth of endless energy and perfect health, and winner of a 2026 Booky Award.
- The Spoonie Entrepreneur’s Companion: Daily Structure, Strategy and Support for Spoonie Entrepreneurs — practical tools and gentle encouragement for pacing and planning sustainably.
- The Spoonie Survival Handbook: Daily Strategies for Living, Working and Thriving with Chronic Illness — a compassionate, practical guide for living with chronic illness.
- Market Days – Sustainable Ways: How to run a successful, sustainable stall business at markets, fairs, and festivals, without burning out — for creative entrepreneurs with disabilities or chronic health conditions.
- Don’t Wait For Confidence: Awards, recognition, and PR made simple, from one small business owner to another — on visibility and recognition for small businesses.
- It’s Not You – It’s The System: A Survival Guide for Disabled and Chronically Ill Professionals Trapped in a 9–5 World — for professionals in traditional workplaces not designed for their bodies or brains.
- A Tiny Flower, Lent Not Given: A Journey Through The Loss Of Your Baby — a comfort-focused book for parents navigating baby loss, outside the Ablepreneurs series but part of Pugh’s wider body of work.