Able South Carolina

In 10 Days, Join us for Advocacy Day for Access and Independence at the SC Statehouse to unlock barriers for people with disabilities! This year's focus: Community Living! It's time for SC to fully commit to ensuring that people with disabilities are given full access and are fully integrated in all aspects of community life. Register for the event and make your plan to join us: unlockingbarriers-sc.org Share this post to let your followers and friends know you're participating and calling for a #BarrierFreeSC! [Graphic with orange background and white image of SC Statehouse silhouette. White text reads, 'Advocacy Day for Access & Independence, 10 Days, April 8, 2025. Left of text at top is an unlocked padlock with the state of SC as the keyhole.]

ACT NOW! Protect seniors, veterans, & people with disabilities! ACL's programs serve one in three disabled and one in five aging South Carolinians, providing support that allows people to remain in their homes and communities, avoiding institutionalization and saving taxpayers money. #SaveACL TAKE ACTION: https://lnkd.in/dXuk-5tH We urge all South Carolinians to stand up and protect the Administration for Community Living (ACL). The dismantling of this agency would directly impact critical services that help people with disabilities and older adults live independently, stay out of institutions, and contribute to their communities. Here’s how you can help: Contact your representatives: Call or email your local and federal representatives to express your opposition to the dismantling of ACL and encourage them to STOP this from happening. Use our action alert: https://lnkd.in/dXuk-5tH Share your story: If you or a loved one benefits from ACL-funded programs, share your experience with policymakers to demonstrate the real-life impact of these services. Spread the word: Share this message with friends, family, and social networks to raise awareness about the importance of ACL for South Carolina. Your voice is essential in ensuring that ACL continues to support our communities. Stand/sit with us—stand/sit with South Carolina—and help preserve the freedom of choice, independence, and local control that ACL provides. [Red tinted image of US Capitol building with text, 'ACT NOW: Protect SC's ACL Funded Programs ACL's programs serve 1 in 3 disabled and 1 in 5 aging South Carolinians. #SaveACL' followed by Able SC logo.]

We are thrilled to share that the 2025 SC Access & Independence Network is over 50 organizations strong! As of today, 55 organizations have signed up in support of Advocacy Day for Access & Independence. Join us and show your support for "unlocking barriers for South Carolinians with disabilities," on April 8 from 10 am to 12 pm at the SC Statehouse. You can also join us online- we will livestream from the Able SC YouTube channel. Details: https://lnkd.in/e5k2HFeC Supporting Organizations: Able South Carolina AccessAbility AgrAbility SC Babcock Center Beginnings SC Beyond BASIC Life Skills Billion Strong Brain Injury Association of South Carolina Carolina LIFE Clemson LIFE Coastal LIFE Columbia College Columbia Urban League The COMET Converge Collective CoverSC Disability Next Door Disability Rights SC Equip Leadership Group Family Connection of SC Gullah GeeChee Chamber of Commerce Harriet Hancock Center Hire Me SC Lions Vision Services McGuireWoods Consulting Mental Health America, SC NAACP SC National Federation of the Blind SC National MS Society Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS) Pacer LIFE Palmetto Council of the Blind REACH College of Charleston SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center SC Assistive Technology Program SC Association of the Deaf SC Commission for Minority Affairs SC Department of Mental Health SC Developmental Disabilities Council SC Housing Justice Network SC Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Consortium SC Spinal Cord Injury Association SC Statewide Independent Living Council SC Vocational Rehabilitation Thrive Upstate Together SC Upstate SC LGBT Chamber of Commerce University of South Carolina Aphasia Lab University of South Carolina School of Medicine- Center for Disability Resources Walton Options for Independent Living WinthropLIFE Women's Rights and Empowerment Network YMCA Columbia Youth Leadership Forum SC York CAN #BarrierFreeSC [Image description for accessibility: An orange graphic with white text is flanked by four pictures from the 2024 event.] Text reads, '50+ organizations strong! Advocacy Day for Access & Independence, April 8, 10 am to 12 pm, SC Statehouse & Online.']

We're celebrating Mary's 2 years at Able SC! Mary is our Director of Community Access in Columbia. As a cancer survivor and woman with neurological disabilities, her skillset is shaped by her lived experience, "Our team comes together with such pride, kindness, strength, and creativity to support the greater disability community and spread awareness and knowledge!" When she is working, Mary is trying new hobbies, "I will try anything once - currently wanting to learn to make stained glass!" We asked her to share something about disability pride that she thinks everyone should know, "It is ever-changing and ever-evolving and only makes life more beautiful." #DisabiltyEmployment #WorkAnniversary #Celebrate [Image Description for Accessibility: Large text over light green background reads, 'Hi my name is Mary, Director of Community Access, 2 years at Able SC. Features photo of Mary, a white woman with short dark hair smiling. Includes quote from the post. Gray Able SC logo at base.]

Spring weather can be wild and unpredictable.?March is an in-between time, winter is fading, and spring is just starting to wake up. But before those spring storms roll in, now is the perfect time to get ready for whatever the season might bring. Storms can be stressful, but a little preparation now can make a big difference in staying safe and feeling in control when bad weather hits! At Able SC, we’re all about making sure our community—the disability community—is ready for bad weather. One of the best tools we’ve created is the document, Stay Safe Emergency Booklet. This easy-to-use guide answers common questions and concerns about staying safe during dangerous weather. You can print it or download it for free to create your own emergency plan. Stay Safe Emergency Booklet:?https://lnkd.in/ewKfEBbV Want to learn more? Check out Able SC’s Emergency Preparedness, Response & Recovery Services webpage:?https://lnkd.in/ecmFHj6z Let’s get ready together—because a little preparation now makes a big difference when storms come our way! [Able SC Stay Safe Emergency Booklet Cover Image- white background with bright red arrows pointing toward the center with bold black text, 'Able South Carolina Stay Safe -Emergency Booklet.' Able SC Logo at the base with additional text, 'Able SC is here to assist with your emergency preparedness. You can reach us by calling 800-681-6805.']

We had a blast at Yesterday's AT Expo! Thanks to all who came out to visit us at our booth, and to the packed room of folks who came to the presentation by our very own Dori Tempio and Ebony Deloach about "disability life hacks." The AT Expo is an annual event organized in Columbia by the SC Assistive Technology Program at USC. Thanks again for having us! [2 images- Dori, a white woman in a power wheelchair, and Ebony, a Black woman in a power wheelchair, take a selfie with a crowded room of listeners during their presentation; AmeriCorps members Abby, a white woman with long brown hair, and Dajha, a mixed race woman with glasses and bright pink and green braids, smile in front of a Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center banner.]

The Governor of South Carolina has declared a State of Emergency due to wildfires burning across the state. The most dangerous fires are in Greenville and Pickens counties. By staying informed and prepared, you can reduce health risks and stay safe during wildfires and smoky conditions: https://lnkd.in/eJGGsZpt [Image description for accessibility: Reads, 'Wildfire threat in Upstate SC, know what to do,' followed by Able SC logo with orange background.]

It's time for SC to fully commit to ensuring that people with disabilities are given full access to all aspects of community life. Our lawmakers can unlock the barriers we face when seeking employment alongside non-disabled peers, accessible transportation in our rural communities, affordable healthcare, and affordable and accessible housing. Each affects the other, and only when these issues work together can we truly experience community living. Register for the event and make your plan to join us: unlockingbarriers-sc.org Share this post to let your followers and friends know you're participating and calling for a #BarrierFreeSC! [Visual Description for Accessibility: Video featuring scenes of diverse disabled people out in public and enjoying life at home. Graphics featured in the video include text, 'Advocacy Day for Access & Independence, April 8, 2025,' a Venn Diagram with the issues of Employment, Transportation, Housing, and Healthcare overlapping with 'Community Living' in the center, and an unlocked padlock with navy colored state of SC as the keyhole. The scenes include: a young Black woman with Down syndrome walking alongside nondisabled classmates, a young white man with CP in a wheelchair in his home, a white man in a suit using a wheelchair to travel down an office hallway with colleagues, a person with pale skin and glasses seated on a public bus looking out the window, a Latina mother and daughter with a developmental disability and her sibling seated and looking at an iPhone and laughing together, a middle-aged black woman speaks with a doctor in scrubs, a Pilipino man using a wheelchair plays guitar with friends, a middle-aged white man in a wheelchair reaches out to someone near him while looking out at the ocean and smiling.]

The fight for disability rights is one of the most powerful and hard-won chapters in our nation’s history. PBS's Change not Charity: the American Disabilities Act, tells the emotional and dramatic story of the decades-long struggle that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. What we now take for granted—curb cuts, ramps, accessible buildings, braille in elevators—were once seen as impossible demands. But behind each of those changes were determined advocates who refused to be silenced. They crawled up the steps of the Capitol, risked arrest, and boldly declared that disabled lives matter. Their courage and coalition-building sparked a movement and forever changed the civil rights landscape of this country. Today, as we face continued threats to accessibility and inclusion, it’s more important than ever to remember what it took to get here—and to defend those hard-won rights. The ADA is not just law; it is a promise of equity, dignity, and access for all. Tune in tonight to witness the incredible story of perseverance, activism, and democracy in action. Let it remind us that our rights are sacred, and we will not go back. Film Details:? https://lnkd.in/ehwvUNKM

Good nutrition is all about making food and drink choices that work for your lifestyle, culture, and budget. To stay healthy, our bodies need fiber, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium—while cutting back on added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. Even small changes can make a big difference! A balanced diet includes fruits, veggies, whole grains, dairy, and protein. Good dairy options include low-fat milk, lactose-free milk, and fortified soy beverages. For protein, try seafood, lean meats, eggs, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds. There’s no one right way to eat! Some people have disabilities that affect their diets, and cultural and economic factors shape how we eat, too. What matters most is getting the nutrients your body needs in a way that works for you! Here are some simple ways to nourish your body and feel your best: Eat a mix of foods from all the food groups every day. Add variety with colorful fruits and veggies. Choose high-fiber foods when possible (unless advised otherwise). Enjoy regular meals and snacks that match your energy needs. Drink plenty of water and cut back on sugary or caffeinated drinks. Limit foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (unless recommended for your needs). Move your body in ways you enjoy—walk, dance, swim, bike, or whatever feels good! [Image Description for Accessibility: Photo taken from above of a person with brown skin in a wheelchair setting a salad on a countertop alongside fruits, a plate of vegetables, granola, tea, and rolls. Text reads, 'Just the basics: nutrition,' with Able SC logo featured.]