Able SC conducting workshop on hiring people with disabilities.

Non-profit Able SC plans to teach Spartanburg employers how to harness the potential of one of South Carolina's largely untapped talent pools: people with disabilities.

"People with disabilities are very good at problem solving; they offer another perspective," said Kimberly Tissot, executive director of Able SC. "You also have someone naturally in your business that can help you make sure that your company is fully inclusive. Having that perspective from them can help ensure that you have access to all customer bases. The rate of callouts is also less as well, and there is less turnover with an employee with a disability. They are usually more devoted to a company."

The event, one of about six throughout the state each year, will brief attendees on recruiting disabled talent and tax break incentives, among other issues, on March 25 from 9 to 10:30 p.m. at Spartanburg's S.C. Vocational Rehabilitation office. A representative of Able SC will offer insight on the procedures and benefits of hiring people with disabilities from his own experience as a disabled professional.

The event stems from Able SC and the S.C. Disability Employment Coalition's Hire Me SC campaign, which advocates for the employment of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Hire Me SC initiates on-site consulting and business-to-business networking opportunities for employers of this talent pool. The campaign also informs those with disabilities about their "right to work," said Tissot.

The campaign was launched after South Carolina received a 2016 federal grant intended to help integrate people with disabilities into the workplace.

According to a 2019 South Carolina employment study (pdf), the...