ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the third model of the Empowering Social Business Hybrids (SBHs) Matrix: Open Access Empowerment. Unlike the previous models, which focused on empowering the person to create economic value through work, this model targets disabling mechanisms rooted in the lack of access to goods and services essential for activating economic capabilities. These include healthcare, mobility, communication, and credit – areas in which exclusion leads to forms of economic and social marginalization. The model highlights how Empowering SBHs can utilize market mechanisms to overcome these barriers by enabling access through either inclusive commercial offerings or tailored service delivery. A key example is the case of Pedius – a social startup that allows deaf people to interact through a voice-to-text and text-to-voice smartphone app. Born from a real-life story and supported by significant funding and corporate partnerships, Pedius now serves tens of thousands of users worldwide, particularly by supporting contact centers and inclusive workplace communication. As with Open Creation, Open Access Empowerment operates within open spaces of reconnection – physical or virtual environments that facilitate reintegration into social life. This chapter examines how inclusive and sustainable business models can transform access into a lever for personal and community empowerment, while safeguarding individual fragility.
