Taylor Burch Achievable Awardee:
Miranda DeBerry

This award is given to people with disabilities who show great effort and accomplishment in achieving their goals. Miranda embodies the spirit of the Achievable Award. When she first came to Able South Carolina, she was shy and rarely spoke up. Her goals were to make friends, become an advocate, and support others. Through Empower Hour, Community Leadership Academy, and our other programs, Miranda found her voice. Through our programs she now has the tools to communicate her ideas clearly. She's learned about the power of advocacy, and today, she confidently leads Empower Hour, speaks up at doctors' appointments, and proudly embraces her disability. With great Disability Pride, Miranda believes nothing can stop her now!

Respectable Awardee:
Amanda Noyes, SC Arts Commission

This award is given to those who have shown great progress in adapting programs and philosophies to demonstrate disability rights and inclusion. Amanda Noyes and the South Carolina Arts Commission are committed to making arts programs and venues accessible for people with disabilities. They not only ensure accessibility in their programs and websites but also actively engage and showcase artists with disabilities. By educating arts providers about disability culture, they foster greater understanding of our community. They don't just want to be accessible. They actively work towards inclusion of disability into all forms of art. Amanda's passion for disability equity drives her to ensure the commission highlights diversity, including disability, in all its programs.

Reportable Awardee:
Skylar Laird, SC Daily Gazette

This award is given to journalists who accurately and justly cover topics related to the disability community. Skylar Laird has been an invaluable partner to Able SC and a fair journalist covering disability issues in South Carolina. She consistently reports on topics affecting the disability community in a clear and accessible way for the general public. Her work has highlighted our fight to end subminimum wage, the benefits of Medicaid expansion for those in the coverage gap, and the intersection of disability rights with pregnant workers’ rights. She has also covered the threats posed against disabled South Carolinians that are multi-marginalized, such as restrictive legislation to the disabled and queer community. Even during slow news times, Skylar stays engaged, covering initiatives like our digital exhibit on the history of people with disabilities at the former State Hospital. She continues to rely on Able SC as a trusted source for disability-related issues.

Legislative Awardee:
Senator Tom Davis

The Legislator of the Year Award is an annual honor that goes to the lawmaker who has gone beyond the call of serving constituents, to fully support the disability community when partnering with Able SC.  This award honors legislators who have been vital in the fight for disability rights and justice. Senator Davis was responsible for crafting the disability issues focused language in the bill and supporting s.915, the bill that would restructure SC health agencies. While this bill unfortunately failed, we do anticipate that the work will continue under Senator Davis’s leadership, and pass in the future, vastly improving the lives of the millions of people impacted in our state. Senator Davis was also a supporter of other disability rights related bills this year and in recent legislative history.

LaMondre Pough is a member of our disability community and a Black man. He has used his personal experience to advocate for the community, and allowed this to lead him down a path that has given him a stats of mentor, justice seeker, and activist.  LaMondre is an expert in the field of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) and the CEO of Billion Strong, an organization championing the rights and participation of people with disabilities.

Historical image of Revered Cecil A. Ivory

Reverend Cecil Augustus Ivory was a Disability and Civil Rights leader in Rock Hill, South Carolina during the mid-20th century. Ivory was a prominent figure in the fight against segregation.

In July of 1957, Reverend. Ivory started a carpool service during a bus boycott in Rock Hill.  A month into the boycott, he gathered donations and bought two used passenger buses, offering free bus services to the Black community. The ongoing boycott led to approximately 90% of the city's Black bus riders refusing to use the bus line. By the end of the year, the Star Bus Line, as a result of the boycott, closed. 

At the age of 39, Reverend Ivory organized the first wheelchair sit-in at McCrory's lunch counter as an act of civil disobedience. Despite explaining that he was not violating Jim Crow laws since as he was not sitting in any seats, he was denied service, threatened by the store's manager and a police officer, and was ultimately arrested. This event solidified Reverend Ivory's leadership and commitment to the Civil Rights movement. 

Reverend Ivory passed away in November 1961 at the age of 40 due to complications related to his disability. His impact, however, extended far beyond his years, leaving an indelible mark on South Carolina and the Rock Hill community specifically.  Reverend Ivory's unwavering commitment to the Disability and Racial justice movement serve as a testament to the resilience and determination of those who fought for equality during this pivotal era in American history.

It is for these reasons that Able South Carolina has established the Cecil A. Ivory Award. The Cecil A. Ivory Award is given to a person of color from the disability community to honor their contributions to advocacy, equity, and inclusion for disabled Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC).