A DISABLED Kingswinford entrepreneur who set up her own online recruitment firm to champion fellow disability workers is in the running for two major awards.

Jane Hatton, who experiences first hand the difficulties disabled people go through as she suffers from a degenerative spinal condition, set up Evenbreak three years ago to help disabled people find work.

The company, which employs three people who work from home, operates as an online specialist jobs board and promotes the benefits of hiring disabled people to employers.

Her clients range from Network Rail to John Lewis and the BBC.

As as result of her own disability - the legacy of a riding accident 20 years ago - Jane works by lying flat on her back with a laptop suspended above.

She said: "My discs are failing. I've had surgery on my neck and lower spine. As a result I live in constant pain and I'm not able to sit for any length of time.

"That means I'm not able to drive very far and I have to stand with the aid of a back-brace."

However - she already understood the needs of disabled people having previously worked as a diversity trainer, promoting the benefits of disabled people to employers before setting up Evenbreak from her home in Celandine Close.

Now both Jane and her flourishing firmhave been shortlisted for major awards.

Evenbreak has been nominated to become Social Enterprise of the Year at the 2014 National Business Awards - the winners of which will be announced at a plush gala dinner at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on November 11.

In the meantime Jane has been named as one of five finalists in line to win the Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneur of the Year which offers a prize of £10,000.

The winner will be decided by an online vote and supporters can visit www.the-sse.org/SEYA to help Jane scoop the top prize.

Voting closes on October 31 and the winner will be announced on November 5 at a ceremony in London.

Jane said: "There's a lot of ignorance around concerning disabled people. They've been labelled work-shy, lazy and benefit scroungers. That doesn't register with the disabled people that I know. They are all talented and eager to work and it's important to realise the benefits of employing disabled people.

"It's something I've always felt strongly about before becoming disabled myself. We've already got thousands of people registered with us.

"Winning these awards would be a fantastic achievement for us and allow us to raise awareness of what we do and encourage even more employers to access disabled talent through Evenbreak.

"If we were lucky enough to win, it would enable me to employ two more people."