Laura proves that disability is a no barrier to graduating or becoming an entrepreneur

Neither Down syndrome, a lack of access to inclusive education, nor the pandemic could stop Laura Zapata from achieving her dream of becoming a chef. Today, she is one of the newest graduates from the Culinary and Pastry Arts technical program at the Mariano Moreno School of Gastronomy and part of the 15% of women with disabilities in Colombia who access higher education, according to the 2020 Quality of Life Survey by DANE.

Laura Zapata Ortega was born with health complications. Doctors gave her little hope for survival, but they were wrong. At 29 years old, she’s now a proud graduate, has worked in the kitchen of the San Fernando Plaza Hotel, and runs her own business—Lauracate, which creates avocado-based products. Her next big goal? Opening her own restaurant.

This journey was made possible by the determination and vision of her mother, Diana Ortega, who, as a single parent with a full-time job as a geologist, dedicated herself to creating a respectful and intentional development plan for Laura. The goal: equip her daughter with the skills to become an autonomous adult.

The decisive moment came when Laura turned 18. Her childhood passion for spending hours watching cooking shows and a workshop she attended with her mother, called “The Pizza of Life,” helped her make a life-changing decision: “I want to have my own business and not work for anyone,” she said. On May 1, 2016, she made her first avocado product for sale.

“We didn’t have an entrepreneurial streak—or at least we didn’t know we did. We started without knowing anything about processes or management… The only thing I cared about was giving her the opportunity to do what she wanted. I kept telling myself, ‘We’ll sell them one way or another, and we’ll learn as we go,’” Diana recalls.

When they decided to take their skills to the next level and formalize Laura’s culinary experience, they found the Mariano Moreno School of Gastronomy in Medellín and Pilar, a mentor who welcomed them with open arms.

Today, Laura proudly declares: “I’m happy and excited that I’ve finally graduated. My passion is cooking and being the chef of my own restaurant.”

Education and Employment for People with Disabilities

“Education is a societal mechanism for personal growth, but as long as we exclude certain individuals from that growth, we will have an inequitable and unequal society, as we do today,” says Rocío Arango, a professional in Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation projects at Ruta N.

This inequality is evident in the data shared by DANE in April 2022 in its report, “Current Status of Disability Measurement in Colombia.” According to the report, 16.2% of people with disabilities have no education level, compared to 2.6% of people without disabilities. The primary barriers to accessing education for people with disabilities include illness, lack of financial resources, and the need for specialized support.

This naturally impacts employment and labor participation rates, which also highlight the gender gap within this population. Among women with disabilities who are not fully unable to work (74.6% of those surveyed), only 16.9% were employed. Of these, 46.1% performed domestic work, 96.8% earned income as domestic workers, and 67.9% worked without pay.

“To have inclusive formal and informal education programs for everyone will allow us to develop mechanisms over time so that all individuals can evolve, grow, and improve their quality of life through knowledge,” Rocío concludes.

Ruta N: Bridging Inequity Gaps Through Innovation

Ruta N is committed to reducing inequities through science, technology, and innovation. Its initiatives include entrepreneurship and social innovation projects as well as programs like the Innovation Lab. Laura and Diana participated in this lab, where they strengthened the business model for Lauracate. They are now envisioning the creation of a school to help turn the business ideas of other people with disabilities into reality.