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.
Hire Me SC Campaign Overview
During the June SC Disability Employment Coalition quarterly meeting, Flock & Rally, the marketing firm for the Hire Me SC campaign, gave an overview of the campaign since its inception in 2018.
Some of the areas they discussed were:
- Lifetime stats for the website, social media, and newsletters (we've grown so much!)
- Hire Me SC marketing strategy phases
- Event outreach and promotion
- Materials and resources created to reach all different audiences
Check out the PowerPoint PDF to learn more!
Legislative Updates
Our last newsletter talked about the legislation going through the SC Statehouse and here are some updates.
H.3244, or the Employment First Act, passed the House and made it over to the Senate, but we ran out of time to get it passed, so we hope to see some movement in the next session. The EFI Act, which has bipartisan support, promotes inclusive employment for individuals with disabilities in South Carolina. If passed, H.3244 would create a commission that would focus on increasing competitive and integrated employment for people with disabilities. We still need your support! Fill out a quick form to get connected directly to your state representatives to tell them to vote YES on H.3244.
The other bill is S.533, a joint resolution that would end subminimum wage with a phase-out period of three years. A task force would be created to create this transition plan. Able SC has posted an FAQ about subminimum wage on their page. The bill passed through the House, but when read on the Senate floor, a Senator added S.264, which would establish a "Disabled Self-Employment Development Trust Fund." Because of this addition, the House did not support the bill, so we will carry it over into the next session in January. Make sure to fill out this form to connect to your state representatives and encourage them to co-sponsor and vote YES on S.533.
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We have one workshop coming up on Wednesday, July 21, from 10 AM to 12 PM! This event will dispel some of the myths around working while receiving SSI/SSDI and introduce you to local service providers that can support you in employment. The workshop will be most helpful to people who are already receiving benefits. Make sure you register so we can send you the Zoom link and any materials!
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