2024 Employer Summit: Access to Good Jobs for All

Able South Carolina and Hire Me SC announce the 9th annual Employer Summit, scheduled during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, on Wednesday, October 2, from 10 am to 3 pm at the Phillips Market Center in West Columbia. The registration fee is $95 for individuals, with special rates available for groups and sponsors.

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. The 2024 theme, Access to Good Jobs for All, will showcase supportive, inclusive policies and practices that benefit employees and employers alike.

Topics will focus on best practices in hiring and employing people with disabilities, a panel session to hear from other businesses about their disability-focused Employee Resource Group, and sessions to explore the intersection of race and disability

“One in three South Carolinians have a disability; however, 60% of people with disabilities are unemployed. This is a workforce employers can’t afford to miss out on."
Marly Saade, Director of Employment Programs, Able South Carolina

Alex, a Black man in a power wheelchair speaking while outside with a marsh behind him.

Keynote Speaker, Alex Jackson:

Employing with Intention: A Focus on Multi-Marginalized Identities in the Workplace

The event boasts keynote speaker Alex Jackson a native of Charleston. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies Communication from the College of Charleston and obtained a Master of Arts degree in Corporate and Organizational Communication also from the College of Charleston. Jackson is a Public Affairs Specialist at the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic in Charleston, SC, and is the writer of a disability blog called Tuesday Talk With Alex where he shares his personal experiences of living with a spinal cord injury. Jackson is skilled in radio and television broadcasting, photography, and videography. With his love for media, Jackson enjoys promoting disability awareness and advocacy through various platforms. He serves on the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association, the Disability Board of Charleston County, the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation, and the City of Charleston Mayor’s Commission for Disability Issues. Alex Jackson's motto is that he is living with a disability and a purpose! And he wants to show that anything is possible when living with a disability.