August Youth Newsletter

Able SC Summer Series was a Success!

This past June, 42 young adults with disabilities were able to get together in person for the 2022 Equip Summer Series for the first time in two years! The event was held simultaneously in Columbia at Irmo High School and Greenville at Project Search Bon Secours. Here, our youth participants were able to come together safely to practice and support each other in learning the skills they need to speak up for themselves, build disability pride, develop employment skills, and become future leaders in their communities.  

The in-person programming allowed the Equip Summer Series participants to engage fully and make meaningful connections with their peers and the Equip Leaders. This event was a powerful and fun-filled learning experience developed by and for youth with disabilities.

Finally, while we are certainly looking forward to the 2023 event, you don't have to wait to get connected with Equip! We have programs like our Group Hangouts, One-on-One Peer Mentoring, Social Skills Groups, and more that you can get involved with right now. If you're interested in learning more, please contact Michael Hanna, the Equip Coordinator, at mhanna@able-sc.org. 

Youth Leadership Forum 2022

The 2022 South Carolina Youth Leadership Forum was held from 7/10-7/13 at Presbyterian College. After two years of virtual YLF events, the 2022 event returned to an in-person format and was a huge success! Twenty-five delegates and peer staff spent their time learning about disability history and rights, working on leadership and advocacy skills, and building community with new friends from across the entire state. This group of YLF alumni is now an active part of a community that is here to support them and help them reach their goals. Dates and location for the 2023 YLF event have not yet been decided; please check our Facebook page for any news or updates about the application process for the 2023 event. We want to see many familiar faces returning to the event as peer staff to pass on their knowledge and experience to new delegates. See you in 2023!

Disability Rights South Carolina: Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Program Public Forum

Disability Rights South Carolina wants to hear from you!

On August 9-11, 2022, representatives from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will visit Disability Rights South Carolina in Columbia, SC.

SAMHSA/CMHS invites you to send comments about the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Program services and activities conducted by Disability Rights South Carolina.

Please send your comments to SAMHSA/CMHS by email to PAIMI@samhsa.hhs.gov or mail to the PAIMI Program Coordinator, SAMHSA/CMHS, 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 14E25D, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

Equip Hangouts  

Equip Hangouts are the perfect place for young adults with disabilities to connect with their peers from all over the state. Equip participants build the skills they need to be more independent and leaders in their community. Based on a peer-to-peer model, hangout topics are selected by the participants and facilitated by the Equip Leaders and Mentors. Some topics we covered over the last quarter are Short and Long-Term Goal Setting, Employment and Relationships, How to Build Your Community Up, and many more! The Equip Hangouts are growing, and we always have room for more participants. If you have any questions about the Equip Hangouts, please feel free to email mhanna@able-sc.org or hroberts@able-sc.org. *Our Equip Hangouts are online only due to COVID-19.*

Upcoming Equip Hangouts:

Thursday, August 18, 6-7 PM

Thursday, September 1, 6-7 PM

Vaccination Clinics

Do your part to keep yourself, your friends, and family protected from COVID-19. Check out these barrier free vaccine clinics, hosted by Able SC & the SC Disability Vaccine Access Network!

Disabled, Trans, and Queer: Intersectional Conversations in the Workplace Webinar

Southeast ADA Center

Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 1:00 – 2:30 PM

“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” – Lilla Watson.

These words were used by Lilla, Aboriginal Elder, and Activist, to set out a challenge for people working towards equity and human rights. We use them as a reminder that social services are best done when no one is left behind—when we center the most vulnerable among us and bloom outward. Too often people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ individuals are left out of important conversations— diversity, inclusion, equal access, and discrimination to name a few—even though we are deeply impacted by these topics on a daily basis.

We can all begin to heal as a community by embracing and honoring our differences. Advocacy can help us develop compassion for ourselves and others. Listening deeply and taking action can give us true strength. Our collective efforts will enable us to better understand how our lives are shaped by our lived experiences, raise our awareness of experiences outside our own, and see the connections between our lives and those of others.

In this presentation we will seek to:

• Define the terminology of microaggression, intersectionality, intersectional microaggressions, and reclamation by highlighting experiences of Disabled, Trans, and Queer people.
• Discuss the presenter’s firsthand lived experiences as working professionals and share experiences of other Disabled, Neurodivergent, Transgender, BIPOC, and Queer folks.
• Describe how support personnel can begin to raise awareness and advocate for disability, neurodiversity, AND LGBTQIA+ inclusion within their employment support processes.

United Way of the Midlands: Women Leading The League

Friday, August 26, 2022, 3:00 PM

Segra Park, 1640 Freed St, Columbia 29201

Women in Philanthropy and the Columbia Fireflies are teaming up to bring you an interactive discussion panel with local women leading the way in their industries from advocacy to business and everything in between!

The event will take place on August 26th at Segra Park. Afterwards, we invite you to join us on the field to throw out the first pitch before enjoying a night of networking at the park with the Columbia Fireflies! 

Note: Fireflies tickets require a separate purchase. Ticket information can be found at the bottom of the registration page that is linked below.

Event Timeline:

3:00-3:30 PM: Check in

3:30-4:00 PM: Networking

4:00-5:00 PM: Women's Panel Discussion

5:00-5:15 PM: Closing Remarks

6:20 PM: Fireflies Guest Services Check in - Ladies Light the Night and take the field with WIP before the game to throw first pitch!