Sign the Employment First Pledge!

South Carolina Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) Pledge

“Employment First” is a movement that represents the growing wave of public policy, sentiment, and best practices converging to affirm that the first and preferred outcome of all services for people with disabilities must be competitive and integrated employment. 

Employment First embodies the fact that everyone has valuable skills, and anyone who wants to work can.

Help us spread the word about the pledge by sharing this flyer.

Employer:

As an Employer, I pledge to:

• Set a recruitment strategy that targets talent with disabilities.
• Ensure job descriptions include only the essential requirements.
• Give people with disabilities the chance to learn more about my business.
• Promote our business's inclusive hiring practices
• Phase out all contracts with organizations that hold14(c) employment certificates. These could be segregated, enclave, or non-typical off-site employment.
• Be open to creative, reasonable accommodations. They could improve an employee's work and better my business.

Employee/Individual:

As an employee or individual, I pledge to:

• Treat all colleagues with fairness and respect. 
• Welcome diversity into the work culture.
• Contribute to a workplace that is open to everyone's skills.
• Report discrimination as I see it in the workplace.
• Support my colleagues by accepting their accommodations
• Offer assistance to my colleagues when appropriate.

Supportive Service Provider:

As a disability service provider, I pledge to:

• Work with 14c contractors to increase community jobs.
• End all referrals to organizations that do not plan to end their contract.
• Expand employment supports through internships and apprenticeships.
• Provide staff training focused on Employment First.
• Work with agencies that further the work of Employment First.
• Set priorities to realize the goals of Employment First in our work
• Set priorities to realize the goals of Employment First in the community.

Education:

As an educator or education provider, I pledge to:

• End all referrals to groups that do not have a 14(c) phase-out plan.
• Collaborate with businesses and service providers.
• Seek partnerships that build inclusive internships and apprenticeships.
• Train all staff on disability sensitivity.
• Train all staff on goal setting for students with disabilities
• Educate students on accommodations.
• Invite service providers to IEP meetings.
• Create a school-wide initiative focused on disability awareness.

Elected Leadership:

As a leader in my community on a Board, Commission, or in Elected Office, I pledge to:

• Consider the opinion of real constituents with disabilities. Learn how they would be impacted by changes.
• Expand a person's options in employment.
• Expand a person’s options in supportive services providers.
• Incentivize work between service providers. This would maximize the benefit to the people they serve.
• Incentivize the hiring of people with disabilities by private employers.
• Recruit and support people with disabilities to serve in elected positions.
• Empower our state to track and share disability employment data.
• Promote Employment First in local communities.

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