Video of Press Conference Event
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Able South Carolina Celebrates 30 Years of Service
Proclamation and Key to the City to be presented by Columbia, SC Mayor, reveal of Bull Street history digital exhibit
COLUMBIA, SC (February 27, 2024) – Able South Carolina (Able SC) will celebrate its 30 years of service to the state of South Carolina at a public press conference event on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 3 pm at their Columbia, SC office found on 720 Gracern Road, Suite 106. The event will feature a proclamation and presentation of the key to the City of Columbia from Mayor Rickenman, the reveal of a digital history exhibit, and a presentation of the Caravan for Disability Justice and Freedom.
In 1994, following the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a group of South Carolinians with disabilities formed Able South Carolina, aiming to overcome the significant barriers they faced in being part of the community. For three decades, Able SC has remained dedicated to this mission, serving as a disability-led, consumer-controlled, community-based nonprofit and championing equity and inclusion for all people with disabilities in South Carolina. Their mission to equip, educate, and advocate for people with disabilities in South Carolina is as relevant today as it was in 1994. Today, Able SC is Columbia’s only disability-led organization.
As part of the celebration, Able SC will unveil a digital exhibit project titled “People, Not Patients,” in collaboration with Historic Columbia, highlighting the lives of some of those first institutionalized in the South Carolina State Hospital on Bull Street. Kimberly Tissot, Able SC’s president and CEO, expressed the vision behind this initiative: “Our vision is to create a South Carolina that is a national model of equity and inclusion for all people with disabilities. This includes illuminating the truth of our painful past to develop a brighter future.”
The Caravan for Disability Justice and Freedom, a collective of people with disabilities and allies traveling across America to commemorate cities significant to disability history, will also be present at the event. Their participation aims to shed light on both historical injustices, such as institutionalization, and ongoing advocacy efforts, including Able SC’s support for legislative measures like S.915, the “Public Health/Agency Restructuring Bill,” which contains an amendment to prioritize community integration for people with disabilities.
“After 30 years of service to the community, we invite the public to join us in imagining what our next 30 years could bring,” shared Tissot. The press conference event will take place on Monday, March 4, at 3 pm at Able South Carolina, 720 Gracern Road, suite 106, Columbia, SC. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and participate in the Caravan for Disability Justice & Freedom.
ABOUT ABLE SOUTH CAROLINA
Able SC is a disability-led organization seeking transformational changes in systems, communities, and individuals. Since 1994, we’ve remained a consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability nonprofit that seeks to make South Carolina a national model of equity and inclusion for all people with disabilities. To learn more about Able SC’s programs and services, please visit www.able-sc.org.
CARAVAN FOR DISABILITY JUSTICE AND FREEDOM
The mission of the Caravan is to build community and coalition through education, awareness, and empowerment The 2024 Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice hopes to interact with thousands of people across the country through its traveling roadshow, online Zoom gatherings, and supporting website from April to October 2024. For more information, please visit thedisabilitycaravan.com.
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