People with disabilities can work, want to work, and should be afforded every opportunity to work. Powered by Able SC and the South Carolina Disability Employment Coalition (SCDEC), a coalition formed to eliminate employment barriers for individuals with disabilities, Hire Me SC is a campaign that promotes a culture of inclusion across the state of South Carolina, one in which employment for every individual, disability or not, is the norm rather than the exception.
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During the Quarterly meeting on June 1, Lance Beecher, with Clemson University, and Cali Sandel, with Able South Carolina, presented on the South Carolina AgrAbility Project.
AgrAbility SC is a partnership that began in October 2022. It is a 4-year initiative with cooperative projects through Clemson University, South Carolina State University, and Able SC. The partnership will increase South Carolina disabled farmers' productivity on the farm through programs and training through education, networking, direct assistance, and marketing. The presentation provided an overview of agriculture in South Carolina, the history of the AgrAbility program, and how you can support this initiative. Project partners are a mixture of agricultural organizations, Veterans organizations, state agencies, and disability-specific programs.
Please get the word out to consumers and organizations about this exciting new initiative! If your organization would like to get involved in the Advisory Committee or you know individuals who could benefit from this program, contact Lance Beecher or Cali Sandel, and Sandy Jordan.
View the Power Point Presentation
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Save the date for the next Benefits Workshop!
Thursday, August 24, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
- Are you a Veteran receiving SSI/SSDI and interested in going to work or increasing your earnings?
- Have you been told that doing so would cause you to automatically lose your cash benefits?
- If so, register for a free workshop to let us dispel some of the myths about working while receiving VA Benefits/SSI/SSDI and connect you with local organizations that can help you with your job search!
Join us on Thursday, August 24, from 10 AM - 12 PM through Zoom! This workshop will be most beneficial to people who already receive SSI/SSDI or have some basic knowledge of it. Please contact Melissa Snyder if you have any questions.
Thank you to Disability Rights SC for providing funding to make this workshop possible!
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Phasing Out Subminimum Wage in SC - Provider Stories
Laurens County Disability and Special Needs Board (Laurens DSNB) and Thrive Upstate are sharing their stories about phasing out subminimum wage. Laurens DSNB ended subminimum wage within their agency several years ago, and Thrive Upstate has been in the process of phasing it out. In their blog post, Thrive Upstate discusses how they moved contracts in which people were paid subminimum wage and turned it into competitive employment—Laurens DSNB talks about how ending subminimum wage led to a cultural shift in their organization. In addition to the blog post, Laurens DSNB also recorded a video about their experience with phasing out subminimum wage.
Due to the passing of bill S.533 in May 2022, subminimum wage must be completely phased out in South Carolina by August 1, 2024. Both Laurens DSNB and Thrive Upstate can provide technical assistance to agencies in this process. Please share these resources with providers! Thank you to the SC Developmental Disabilities Council for funding this work.
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Hybrid SCDEC Quarterly Meetings
will resume in September
The South Carolina Disability Employment Coalition is excited to offer an in-person option for our next meeting on Thursday, September 7! Attendees can meet in person at the Able SC Columbia office or participate virtually through Zoom. Please be on the lookout for additional updates as we approach September.
If you have not attended these meetings before, and are interested in learning more about the Coalition, contact Hire Me SC. SCDEC stakeholders represent South Carolina employers, state and private agencies, and individuals with disabilities who are working together to eliminate employment barriers for South Carolinians with disabilities. The Coalition meets quarterly as a whole and has project-focused workgroups.
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2023 Employer Summit Keynote Speaker announcement
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
10:00 AM-3:00 PM
Phillips Market Center, West Columbia, SC & Livestream
We are thrilled to welcome W. Keller Kissam, President of Dominion Energy South Carolina, as our 2023 Employer Summit Keynote Speaker! Kissam oversees Dominion Energy’s regulated utility in South Carolina serving about 1.1 million electric and gas customer accounts.
Register now to secure your spot! The Employer Summit is a one-day conference for business managers, executives, and HR professionals ready to hire and retain a workforce inclusive of people with disabilities. The Employer Summit will show businesses how including individuals with disabilities will strengthen their workforce.
Attendees will have access to the same content whether they choose to attend in-person or virtual. The registration fee is $95 for both in-person and online attendees. Discounts are available for businesses that register 5 or more! Contact hiremesc@able-sc.org to inquire.
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