|  | | | Youth Spotlight: Eden Alon |
| This month’s spotlight belongs to Eden Alon, a former Equip leader. (An Equip leader is someone at Able SC who works as a mentor to youth with disabilities ages 13 to 28.) While working as an Equip leader, Eden was able to finish his Masters in Communications with a concentration in Disability Studies. He is very educated and has a lot of life experience, but he has had trouble finding a job that would allow him to use his degree. So his dream is to create one. Eden has lived experience as a person with a disability and sees a lack of services available for people his age. He stated, ”My issue has always been…There are support services for people with disabilities who are kids and those in senior care. But there is a noticeable gap for young adults with disabilities in this area.” He wants to help young adults learn independent living skills, help them find jobs, help them learn about public speaking, and provide for others the mentorship and camaraderie that he felt during his time with Equip. |
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| While Eden’s potential startup does not have a website or even a name, he does have “proof of concept“. He has recently started working with his first client, a young adult with autism who wants help making new friends and wants to feel confident about managing his time. Eden meets with his client online once a week. Equip taught Eden professional skills that will help him start his own business, such as creating SMART goals and using Outlook as an accessibility tool to help manage one’s time. But, for Eden, the most useful part of being an Equip leader was the “friendships” he made, stating “Being part of Able allowed me to be exposed to [a lot of] differences [and] people from different walks of life. Deaf, hard of hearing, low vision, blind, autistic, ADHD, bipolar, you name it, and Able allowed me to be exposed to [those] types of people.” Eden wants to work with a variety of people and is learning about how intersectionality affects people with disabilities, especially those in the LGBTQ community. It is important to him that everyone feels welcome and safe when interacting with him. Eden is also learning how to run a small business from his dad, who owns five pizza restaurants in the Myrtle Beach area. He works at one of those restaurants and enjoys getting lots of free pizza. He is also interested in becoming a voice actor on the side and recently played a ghost and a vampire in a Halloween special. Eden is being mentored by an older voice actor and enjoys that experience. Eden was well-known at Able for his sense of humor and, when asked what he does for fun, he replied, “I still love the dad jokes!” |
| | Legislative Action Update: Medicaid and You |
| Medicaid is a program that provides healthcare for people who are low-income and people with disabilities. Medicaid in South Carolina is called “Healthy Connections”, so you may be on Medicaid without even knowing it! Medicaid pays for things that help people with disabilities live safely in the community, such as personal care services. Medicaid also pays for wheelchairs, ventilators, and other medical equipment that keep people healthy and independent. But what does that have to do with youth? Well, as previously stated, many youth with disabilities rely on Medicaid for health insurance. Medicaid helps you, and now Medicaid needs your help! The government has proposed a budget that will cut $715 billion from Medicaid, and it will leave at least 13.7 million people without coverage. It will take away money that helps people live in their own homes and communities. People will end up in institutions, or they could even be harmed. The cuts also affect people who already live in nursing homes, by cutting the number of available staff to save costs, which results in a lack of appropriate care. The government is also proposing work requirements for people on Medicaid aged 18-64. A work requirement means that people will have to have a job in order to qualify for Medicaid, but many people on Medicaid are unable to work, while many others already have jobs. Medicaid work requirements require states to hire administrative workers to keep track of who is working, which leaves them with less money to spend on an already burdened healthcare system. They are also proposing using artificial intelligence (AI) to make decisions about the care people receive. AI is often biased against people with disabilities and other marginalized groups. It often concludes that people don’t need medications, equipment, and services that they need and have used for years. If you are concerned about the proposed budget cuts and changes, now is the time to be an advocate! Call or email your representatives and let them know that you oppose the plan to cut Medicaid. Your voice matters! Here is a link to contact your representatives. |
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| | NEW Able SC Youth Programs |
| Equip Creative Writing Contest
 The Equip Creative Writing Club is holding a contest. Youth ages 13 to 28 are encouraged to submit a story that fits the theme of the contest, which is “Celebrating Disability Pride.” The contest will run from May 1st to May 31st and anyone is eligible to participate, as long as they are registered with Equip. Writers can submit their stories by emailing equip@able-sc.org. (Use the same email if you need additional support or have any questions.) The winner will be featured on the Able SC website. You can connect with other writers and join other creative writing events by joining the Equip Discord server.
Equip Discord Registration Link |
|  | Summer Series is Coming Soon: Registration Open! With summer comes Equip's Summer Series, an event where youth with disabilities ages 13 to 28 will be able to attend a multi-day self advocacy, disability pride, and skill-building event. Summer Series meets in person in Greenville and Columbia to build skills that assist young adult leaders with increasing their independence! ColumbiaWhere: Richland Library Main, 1431 Assembly St When: June 9th to 11th from 9 am to 12 pm GreenvilleWhere: Unity Park, 320 S Hudson St When: June 16th to 18th from 9 am to 12 pm Registration is open now! Use the link: Equip Summer Series 2025 |
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| | Disabled Disrupters Seek Young Advocates Disabled Disrupters is a youth-led grassroots organization seeking young people with disabilities who are interested in joining their policy team. According to their website they are looking for students with disabilities who are: - Dedicated to the fight for disability justice.
- Committed to intersectionality and collective liberation.
- Willing to learn to craft and advocate for disability policy on the local, state, and federal level.
As a part of the policy team, you would be expected to work alongside well-known policy leaders, as well as write your own policy research proposal. For questions and to find out more, email disabled.disrupters@gmail.com. The application to join the Disabled Disrupters policy team is linked below. Disabled Disrupters Policy Team Application |
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| Able SC Youth Events Calendar |
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| Equip May-rathon!During the month of May, Equip is celebrating Spring by having a MAY-rathon event. We will be having a hangout every week for the first four weeks of May. Open to youth ages 13-28 Hangouts will be both online and in person. We can’t wait to see you there! Time: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Virtual Days: May 1 and 8
In-Person Days: May 15 and 18
Cost: Free
Equip Registration Link
If you have any questions or need help registering, email equip@able-sc.org or call us at 864.235.1421. Registration is required. Creative Writing ClubHone your creativity and writing skills by joining our Discord’s creative writing sessions on the last Thursday of each month.
Date: 5/29
Time: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Equip Registration Link Peer-to-Peer, Coast-to-CoastZoom hangout held on the first Saturday of each month that allows youth with disabilities to connect with their peers in Orange County, CA.
Date: June 7
Time: 2 pm - 3 pm ET | 11 am - 12 pm PT
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Registration for Peer-to-Peer, Coast-to-Coast Learn Programming with SC-CATERLearn Unity programming on the second Saturday of each month. You can receive a certificate if you attend every class. Date: May 10 & June 14
Time: 10 am - 12:30 pm
Location: SC-CATER
Cost: Free
SC-CATER Registration Form |
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| | We want to take a moment to highlight and thank Abacus Planning Group for sponsoring youth programs at Able SC. This summer, Equip Summer Series is made possible by Abacus! And they are not only supporting our team with needed funds and resources, they are also actively engaged with the event. Abacus will be instructing a lesson for participants on how they can be money-smart and plan for their futures. Abacus is a fee-only financial planner that partners with families to "thrive in the land of possibility." We thank them for recognizing our community, youth with disabilities, and the importance of disability inclusion! |
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