Able South Carolina

We Are ALL Able South Carolina

For more than 30 years, Able SC has served as the state’s leading disability-led organization fighting for rights, independence, and inclusion. With more than 3/4 of our staff and over half of our Board as people with disabilities, we didn't just learn this work – we live it every day.

Why Midlands Gives Day Matters:

This Midlands Gives Day, we have an extraordinary opportunity.

This year, your impact is DOUBLED thanks to an anonymous donor generously matching every donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $30,000!

Last year more than 330 donors joined us during Midlands Gives. This year we’re STARTING with $30K to match! Your $50 becomes $100. Your $100 becomes $200. In a world where everything costs more and delivers less, your Midlands Gives donation is the one thing that actually doubles!

We equip, educate, and advocate so people with disabilities can direct their own lives, challenge stereotypes, and access equity at every level.

When you support Able SC, you're supporting disability leadership. You're trusting people with disabilities to shape our future.

Together, we are building the national model for equity and inclusion for all individuals with disabilities.

We Are ALL Able South Carolina. Join us on May 5, from 6 AM – 11:59 PM, ideally between 11:00 AM – 11:59 AM (we can win up to a $2,000 bonus prize if we get the most donors during that window!).

Who We Are (The Disability-Led Difference)

Able SC isn't a charity that helps people with disabilities. We ARE people with disabilities: leading, deciding, and driving the work.

We practice equity, disability justice, representation, and true inclusion through consumer-driven independence and disability pride.

Our work doesn't end when we leave the office. Disability is part of who we are. It shapes how we advocate, how we serve, and how we envision a more accessible South Carolina.

Since 1994, we've remained South Carolina's oldest and largest federally recognized disability-led organization, and we are built on the principle that people with disabilities are the experts on our own lives.

By supporting Able SC, you're supporting disability leadership. You're trusting people with disabilities to know what we need, and to fight for it.

The Impact of Your Support

When you give to Able SC, you're supporting:

• Benefits Counseling providing access to resources people with disabilities earned without losing critical support (15,842 total services delivered last FY)
• Employment Services breaking down workplace barriers and connecting people with disabilities to meaningful careers (362 individuals achieved their vocational goal last FY)
• Advocacy & Systems Change that challenges discrimination and ensures disability rights are protected under the law (For every person with a disability that is diverted from an institution South Carolina saves $95,000 - $150,000 annually)
• Independent Living Skills Training empowering people with disabilities to live on their own terms (3,033 received direct services, 179 received independent living skills training, 471 navigated transportation independently, 321 increased self-advocacy skills)
• Youth Leadership Development building the next generation of disability rights leaders (For every youth with a disability transitioned to post-secondary education or employment, saves the taxpayer $200,000 over a lifetime)
• Community Education shifting attitudes, dismantling stereotypes, and building truly inclusive communities (55,000+ professionals trained)
• A Wise Investment for SC For every $1 invested in Able SC’s programs, $3 - $10 is returned to South Carolina in other savings. One accessible transportation policy opens jobs for thousands, with no added per-person cost; inclusive education increases graduation and employment rates statewide; preventing institutional bias saves hundreds of millions by keeping people in their community. Helping South Carolina remove barriers opens doors for everyone is simply better for our shared future.

Testimonials

"I finally no longer FEEL like a victim of my health issues [and] brain injury…I SEE my potential to be a voice of advocacy in whole new ways! I was able to express myself clearly at my disability hearing and no matter what the judge decides I walked out knowing I am a changed woman who will eventually find my way to a whole new life in ways I never dreamed possible…YOU started the change in me on a whole new level… thanks to Able SC, I am proud of who I am as a disabled person and have confidence in what I can achieve!" - Testimonial from a person with a disability after working with Able SC peer mentors.

"I owe y'all a big thanks. The support provided by Jayden Sterling and Liz Fosnaugh... I don't know if he'd be alive without their support." - Testimonial from a consumer's sister.