Article originally appeared in Able SC’s August 2026 Youth Team Newsletter, produced by Able SC’s Youth Team.
Youth in Advocacy: Jordan Dee Advocates for Accessible Transportation
Jordan Dee first heard about Able SC through her caseworker and was immediately interested in receiving peer support. After calling Able SC, she was introduced to Youth Independent Living Specialist Holden Roberts, who encouraged her to work on her goals. He recommended that she attend Equip on Tour, where she learned skills that would help her become more independent and meet other young people with disabilities who understood some of the challenges she faced.
After Equip on Tour, Jordan decided to start attending the Equip virtual hangouts every month. The other participants listened as Jordan described her difficulty finding transportation. Jordan lives with her grandparents, who are often unable to drive her places. The other participants and Able staff told Jordan about an upcoming opportunity to speak before the Greenville County Council.
Jordan shared her personal experiences using the Greenville County Paratransit Bus. She shared how it allows her to get to work, spend money in the community, socialize, and increase her independence. She highlighted that access to affordable and accessible housing was not only helpful to her, but to others with disabilities, the elderly, and the unhoused population.
She appealed to the council’s sense of financial responsibility by reminding them that investing in transportation will eventually pay for itself by bringing more money into the community. Giving the speech pushed Jordan “out of her comfort zone”, but she was glad to do it in order to “advocate for those without a voice” and hopes to do more advocacy in the future. She received a plaque for her efforts. We are very proud of Jordan here at Able SC; we hope she is proud of herself!