Entrepreneurship is often presented as a pathway to autonomy, dignity, and income for people with disabilities (PwD), especially where formal employment remains difficult to access. Yet a new study suggests that learning to make, display, or sell products is only the beginning. In Indonesian upper secondary special schools, entrepreneurship education can help students with disabilities (SwD) gain confidence through hands-on activities, but these experiences often remain within protected school settings. The study shows that real entrepreneurial opportunity depends not only on vocational practice, but also on curriculum design, teacher capacity, family support, role models, and access to authentic market experiences beyond the classroom.
For students with disabilities (SwD), the transition from school to work can be particularly uncertain. Many young people with disabilities face barriers to higher education and formal employment, making upper secondary education a crucial stage for future planning. In Indonesia, special schools, known as Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB), often provide vocational learning, but entrepreneurship is not always taught as a distinct or structured subject. Instead, it is frequently embedded in activities such as cooking, crafting, selling, or school bazaars. Based on these challenges, there is a need to conduct in-depth research on how entrepreneurship education is practiced and experienced by SwD in special schools.
The study was conducted by Rizka Astari Rahmatika and Hasna Larasati from the Binus Entrepreneurship Center, Management Department, Bina Nusantara University, and Oki Hermawati from the Character Building Development Center, School of Information System, Bina Nusantara University. Accepted on April 22, 2026, and published (DOI: 10.1007/s41959-026-00182-z) in Entrepreneurship Education in 2026, the article examines how entrepreneurship learning is implemented in Indonesian upper secondary special schools and how teachers and learners understand its value and limitations.
The researchers conducted an exploratory qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with 17 participants: nine upper secondary special school teachers and eight students with diverse disabilities. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA), and guided by the Capability Approach and the Ecology of Equity, the study identified four themes. First, teachers reported structural and resource inequities, including limited professional development, underused equipment, and curricula or assessments that did not always match students' learning profiles. Second, entrepreneurship was often taught through "safe space" activities, such as Market Day events or classroom-to-classroom food selling. These activities helped students practice communication, teamwork, and basic selling, but they usually involved familiar audiences, such as teachers, classmates, and parents. Third, entrepreneurship learning was often survival-oriented. Students gained task-based vocational skills, but had fewer opportunities to develop pricing, marketing, customer engagement, and independent decision-making. Fourth, family support and disability-identified role models strongly shaped students' aspirations, either expanding or limiting how they imagined their futures.
The authors said the findings show that inclusive entrepreneurship education should move beyond isolated vocational tasks. They said schools can offer an important first step by creating safe and supportive spaces where SwD can practice, repeat, and build confidence. But those spaces should become bridges, not boundaries. Entrepreneurial learning becomes more meaningful when students are gradually supported to make decisions, meet real customers, test demand, and see people with similar lived experiences building independent pathways.
The study offers practical implications for educators, policymakers, families, and community partners. At the policy level, curriculum structures, lesson hours, assessment standards, and teacher development need to better reflect the diverse learning profiles of SwD. At the school level, entrepreneurship should be made more visible, either as a standalone program or as an explicit part of vocational education. Learning activities should gradually move from protected school-based events toward supported real-world market exposure. Partnerships with families, social services, local businesses, and community organizations could help students test products and services beyond school walls. Most importantly, entrepreneurship education should not only prepare students to survive, but also expand their autonomy, choices, and future opportunities.
