{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T21:07:01Z","timestamp":1758056821923,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,15]],"date-time":"2025-09-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757894400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"South Africa\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s National Research Foundation"},{"name":"University Capacity Development Grant Funding (UCDP) from the University of KwaZulu Natal"},{"name":"The University of KwaZulu-Natal's Step Up Programme, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Newton Fund"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"\nBackground<\/jats:title>\nAttaining the United Nations\u2019 2030 Sustainable Goals, such as fighting poverty and involving adults in work, requires the involvement of professionals such as occupational therapists. Persons with disabilities are among the adults to whom occupational therapists provide work or vocational rehabilitation services for productivity and well-being. Occupational therapists have skills such as analysing tasks to determine associated demands and requirements. The analysis ensures task feasibility, suitability, and matching of persons with disabilities. However, anecdotal evidence indicates that occupational therapists lack a systematic and practical approach to select and analyse suitable microenterprises for individuals with disabilities they serve. The objectives of this study were to address the gap in occupational therapy by exploring the i) selection of a suitable microenterprise for persons with disabilities and ii) factors to consider when analysing microenterprises to ensure successful outcomes. Thus, this study aims to explore procedures used to select and analyse microenterprises for persons with disabilities.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nMethods<\/jats:title>\nSeventeen participants participated in this exploratory qualitative research, three male. They were occupational therapists based in academia, clinical settings and learners with Special Education Needs Schools, respectively. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit the participants. Data was analysed using thematic analysis using the hybrid inductive and deductive approach. Ethical clearance was issued by the University of KwaZulu-Natal\u2019s Biomedical Research Ethics Committee.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nResults<\/jats:title>\nTwo themes emerged. Theme one: The process of selecting an appropriate microenterprise. This theme describes the participant\u2019s insight into the approach to microenterprise selection, the use of the microenterprise list or options available, and the distinct features of these microenterprises. Theme two: Factors to consider when analysing a suitable microenterprise as a placement option. The theme explores microenterprise accessibility, the key role players involved, business demands, and funding availability and access.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nConclusion\/discussion\/interpretation<\/jats:title>\nFor microenterprise selection and suitability analysis, a comprehensive, systematic and contextualised approach is crucial to facilitate self-employment as a viable career choice. Such includes integrating a list of microenterprises found in South Africa for career choice consideration. Moreover, there are essential factors for consideration, including the involvement of various key role players, legal and regulatory frameworks, funding sources and leveraging the strengths of persons with disabilities. These factors, effectively integrated with occupational therapists\u2019 expertise in vocational rehabilitation, can enhance the vocational success of persons with disabilities.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0332192","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,15]],"date-time":"2025-09-15T17:48:26Z","timestamp":1757958506000},"page":"e0332192","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A study exploring procedures used to select and analyse microenterprises for persons with disabilities"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6780-2436","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Luther Lebogang","family":"Monareng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shaheed Mogammad","family":"Soeker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Deshini","family":"Naidoo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0332192.ref001","article-title":"Empowering disabled youth with entrepreneurial values.","volume-title":"Proceedings of the ASEAN Entrepreneurship Conference 2014","author":"CA Osman","year":"2014"},{"key":"pone.0332192.ref002","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Informal employment in South Africa","author":"I Valodia","year":"2007"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0332192.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.3233\/JVR-180962","article-title":"Meaningful social and economic inclusion through small business enterprise models of employment for adults with intellectual disability","volume":"49","author":"SH Thoresen","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Vocat Rehabil"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0332192.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2336","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ridd.2013.04.009","article-title":"Teaching skills related to self-employment to adults with developmental disabilities: an analog analysis","volume":"34","author":"WH Dotson","year":"2013","journal-title":"Res Dev Disabil"},{"key":"pone.0332192.ref005","first-page":"77","article-title":"The size and structure of the South African informal sector 2008-2014: A labour-force analysis","author":"M Rogan","year":"2018","journal-title":"The South African informal sector: Creating jobs, reducing poverty"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0332192.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.22610\/jebs.v9i1.1555","article-title":"Entrepreneurial Barriers that are Confronted by Entrepreneurs Living with Physical Disabilities: A Thematic Analysis","volume":"9","author":"ET Maziriri","year":"2017","journal-title":"JEBS"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0332192.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.1177\/1558689815572024","article-title":"Small area census approach to measure the township informal economy in South Africa","volume":"11","author":"AJE Charman","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Mix Methods Res"},{"key":"pone.0332192.ref008","unstructured":"Daniel O. 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