 | | Hire Me SC Quarterly Newsletter |
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| Hire Me SC People with disabilities can work, want to work, and should be afforded every opportunity to work. 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. |
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| With your help, we can change the culture of disability employment in South Carolina. |
| Able SC WIPA Able to Work Program Are you a minority person with paralysis on SSA benefits and interested in working, but want more information? The SC Employment Equality Project can help! Funding through the Reeves Foundation is available to provide benefits counseling services through the Able SC WIPA Program! How can the Able SC WIPA Program help? Many individuals fear working because of what might happen to their cash or health benefits. Able SC's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program assists individuals in understanding the changes to benefits by providing accurate and timely information. This is done through: - Verifying current benefits
- Discussing the impact of employment and available work incentives
- Providing a comprehensive written outline of the available options to support your ability to make an informed decision.
Who does the WIPA Program Serve under the SC Employment Equality Project? Residents of South Carolina with disabilities who are: - Entitled to SSI or SSDI Benefits
- Between the ages 14 to full retirement age
- Black Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC)
- Have a disability under the umbrella of paralysis such as: Spinal cord injury, Traumatic brain injury, Stroke, Cerebral palsy, Multiple sclerosis, ALS, etc.
How do I get started? Get started by contacting the Ticket to Work Helpline and letting them know you are interested in WIPA services. Call 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 for TTY Or contact the Able SC WIPA team directly at wipa@able-sc.org. |
| | | Upcoming Events & Workshops |
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| Disability Benefits & Employment Workshop Are you interested in going to work or increasing your earnings? Have you been told that doing so would cause you to lose your cash benefits? If so, register for this free workshop for people with disabilities, their family members, and service providers! At the workshop, we will break down myths about working while receiving SSI/SSDI, and connect you with local service providers. - When: Thursday, October 17, 2024, 1:00 PM -3:00 PM
- Where: SC Works Midlands, 700 Taylor St., Columbia, SC 29201.
- Questions: Email hiremesc@able-sc.org Or Call 1.800.681.7715 or TTY 803.779.0949
- If registering after October 3rd, send accommodation requests to hiremesc@able-sc.org.
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|  | A special thanks to Disability Rights SC for funding this workshop and SC Works Midlands for hosting this workshop! |
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| 2024 Employer Summit: Access to Good Jobs for All One in three South Carolinians has a disability however, 60% of people with disabilities are unemployed. This is a workforce employers can’t afford to miss out on. The Employer Summit is a one-day conference for business managers, executives, and HR professionals ready to hire and retain a workforce inclusive of people with disabilities. The Employer Summit will show you how including individuals with disabilities will strengthen their workforce. Topics will focus on best practices in hiring and employing people with disabilities, a panel session to hear from other businesses about their disability-focused Employee Resource Group, and sessions to explore the intersection of race and disability. |
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|  | Checkout the Employer Summit Event page to learn about the Summit Speakers and Agenda! - When: October 2, 2024, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM
- Where: Phillips Market Center, West Columbia SC
SHRM Credits Approved/ HRCI Credits Pending. |
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| | SC Disability Employment Coalition Update During the Quarterly meeting on September 5, Kimberly Tissot with Able South Carolina and Valarie Bishop with the South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council presented on the phase-out of subminimum wage and the recommendations from the Task Force on Eliminating Subminimum Wage. The Task Force is still working on their final report, but their biggest takeaway is that South Carolina needs to improve collaboration and data sharing between employment providers and organizations. Some of the recommendations they discussed include improving data tracking and sharing among agencies, collaborating to provide appropriate community-based services to improve competitive integrated employment outcomes, surveying individuals who have transitioned from earning subminimum wage, establishing a bi-annual data analysis, training and technical assistance for providers, and more. The final report from the Task Force will be shared once it is completed. The South Carolina Employment First Oversight Commission will be established under bill s.533. Once appointments have been made and the Commission begins meeting, they will focus on tracking the data and implementing recommendations to ensure that individuals who were previously paid subminimum wage are receiving appropriate services. To learn more about the Task Force, visit the Hire Me SC website! |
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| | Subminimum Wage Task Force Update Congratulations to all of South Carolina for supporting the transition of all subminimum wage participants with disabilities by August 1, 2024. Able SC is proud to announce that all people with disabilities who are employed are now making no less than the Federal Minimum Wage! Woot woot South Carolina! We are only the 13th state in the nation that successfully advocated for real work and real pay for people with disabilities! |
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| | Hire Me SC is here for you - we have resources for everyone: |
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|  | Job Seekers- You have skills and talents. Employment is possible, and we have the resources you need to get there. |
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 | Employers- You will benefit from hiring individuals with disabilities. We can show you how your company can thrive. |
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 | Service Providers- You can empower disabled people to reach their goals. We can show you the skills you need to make it happen. |
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 | You can empower your loved one to meet their employment goals. We can help you be an educated advocate. |
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| | | Navigating the workforce through a multi-marginalized person’s lens By Marly Saade “I don’t like Arabs”, “Are you stupid,“ and “She can’t do that because she’s wheelchair-bound,” are some of the least offensive examples of discrimination I’ve experienced in the workplace. I am not the only person to experience a blatant or non-blatant form of discrimination because having multi-marginalized identities that intersect is the lived experience of many other South Carolina residents. My name is Marly, and I am a Lebanese American Disabled woman living in the US since 2000, having obtained citizenship in 2010. In 2007 I was in a car accident where I sustained a T10-T12 Spinal Cord Injury. As a minority woman who acquired her disability, it took years to replace the hurt, fear, and anger with something more productive. That is why I’ve chosen my career path and what has landed me in the Director of Employment Programs role at Able SC, a disability-led organization seeking transformational change. |
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| Able SC Employment Programs We offer a variety of employment programs and initiatives to help people with disabilities achieve their employment goals. Our Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA team works with people who receive social security benefits to help them understand how working may impact their benefits and what work incentives may be available to them. Our employment services include: - Self-esteem/confidence building to prepare for employment
- Access to benefits counseling
- Career options counseling
- Job search skills (resumes, interviews)
- Workplace skill-building (communicating effectively, workplace etiquette, professional relationships, etc.)
- Job performance support
- Troubleshooting Workplace Issues (including disclosure, accommodations, and advocacy)
- Peer Support
Other employment programs include Hire Me SC, Ticket to Work, SNAP2Work, and SC Disability Employment Coalition. |
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| | Hire Me SC
720 Gracern Road Suite 106 | Columbia, South Carolina 29210
803.779.5121 | hiremesc@able-sc.org |
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