Need Help Quickly?
If you or someone you know needs help or would like to be referred to our Violence Prevention program, please contact us at 803-779-5121 or email us at [email protected]
- IMPORTANT: Able SC does not provide emergency or crisis services. We do not offer shelter and do not have lawyers, police, therapists, or medical providers on staff.
- We do provide peer support and help navigating systems. We work with disabled people to explore options, find resources, and connect with services our community needs to be safe, supported, and moving toward recovery.
- If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
What do we do?
Able SC addresses violence against people with disabilities in South Carolina in three main ways.
First, we support survivors. We help people with disabilities who have been hurt or abused to find resources, understand their rights, and get support. Able SC staff are not mandated reporters. This means we will not call the police or make an Adult Protective Services report unless you ask us to.
Second, we provide education. We create easy‑to‑understand materials about relationship safety for everyone. We teach what healthy relationships look like, how to recognize abuse, and where to go for help.
Third, we train professionals. We offer training for professionals who work with survivors with disabilities. These trainings help organizations build the skills and confidence needed to better serve people with disabilities.
Why is it important to learn about violence against people with disabilities?
People with disabilities are at a higher risk of abuse than people without disabilities. Abuse can be hard to recognize because the person causing harm may also provide care or seem supportive.
Most abuse is caused by someone the person knows, such as a caregiver, family member, friend, or partner. Abuse can also come from people in service roles, including healthcare workers or transportation providers. It often happens in places like care facilities, group homes, or hospitals, where people may be more isolated.
Abusers may use fear, physical harm, or control. This can include taking away medication, medical equipment, or other needed supports.
Abuse is never the survivor’s fault. If you have a disability and have been hurt or abused, you deserve safety, understanding, and support!
Guides and Factsheets
Not sure if you or a loved one is being abused? Check out these helpful guides for people with disabilities.
Building Healthy Relationships:
- Building Healthy Boundaries: Respect Yourself, Respect Others
- Building Healthy Relationships Worksheet
Advocacy and Help Guides for People with Disabilities
- Self-Advocacy and Understanding Your Rights
- How to Get Help When You are Being Hurt: A Guide for Victims of Abuse and Assault with Disabilities
- Guide to Interacting with Police for People with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
- Advocacy with Law Enforcement and Victim Service Providers
- End Abuse of People with Disabilities: This booklet helps people know more about abuse and violence. It also offers tips for what you can do if you are being abused.
- See Something, Do Something: Prevent Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence: This guide explains how to help if you see someone being hurt or abused. It also has contact information for places nearby that may be able to help.
- Connect to Safety: Ending Violence and Abuse for People with Disabilities
For Law Enforcement and Emergency Responders:
- Practical Communication Tips for Law Enforcement and Emergency Responders when Interacting with People with Disabilities
- Human Trafficking and People with Disabilities
For information about staff training and education for professionals who serve survivors with disabilities, email [email protected].
Projects and Partnerships
Bridge to Safety Collaboration
From 2018 to the project's end in 2023, Able SC worked in partnership with Pathways to Healing and YWCA of the Upper Lowlands to improve access to services for the survivors with disabilities we serve at each of our organizations. This multi-year project, funded through the US Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, allowed representatives from all three organizations to collaborate and create permanent changes within all three organizations so that our services are respectful, safe, and accessible for people with disabilities who have experienced violence.
Promoting Access to Safe Services (PASS) Program
The PASS program is funded by Richland County and began in 2022. Its goal is to make it easier and safer for people with disabilities in Richland County who have been victims of crime or abuse to get the help they need.
PASS supports training professionals who work with survivors with disabilities, including medical staff, first responders, public health staff, and community organizations and shelters.
PASS also creates easy‑to‑read materials to help people with disabilities understand their legal rights and learn where to find support if they experience crime or abuse.
If you want information about no-cost training for you or your organization, we want to talk to you! Please contact us at 803-779-5121 or email us at [email protected].
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Program
The VAWA program is funded through the South Carolina Attorney General's Office. Begun in 2022, its goal is to enhance the effectiveness of victim service providers and law enforcement when serving survivors with intellectual or developmental disabilities or other disabilities. VAWA funds training opportunities for law enforcement, emergency service personnel, victim service providers, and more. The VAWA program has also created written materials to teach law enforcement and victim service providers to communicate effectively with survivors with I/DD and other disabilities.
South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) Collaboration
Able SC partners with SCCADVASA to provide training and support to organizations that serve survivors with disabilities. This includes help with building accessibility, website accessibility, policy reform, and practical guidance on serving survivors with disabilities.
SCCADVASA staff review and provide feedback on training materials and resources for victim advocates and help share these materials statewide.
Able SC and SCCADVASA also work together as members of the Richland County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (RCDVCC). Through this council, partners work to prevent domestic violence, improve access to services for survivors in Richland County, and reduce gaps in knowledge about the needs of different survivor populations.