Employment for People with Disabilities: Get the Facts and Improve the Stats
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, only 17.9% of persons with a disability were employed in 2020, while 61.8% of persons without disabilities were employed. In South Carolina, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is one of the highest in the country.
Hiring inclusively is the very backbone of the Hire Me SC campaign. People with disabilities must be afforded the same hiring and work opportunities as those without disabilities. There are many benefits to hiring a person with a disability, such as a higher retention rate, increased productivity, and more.
Woman in white top and black pants standing, gesturing towards a white board and giving a presentation to a man in a suit seated at a table in front of her.
People with disabilities want to contribute to the workforce and work meaningful jobs, just as people without disabilities do. Having a disability does not make a person less able to perform. In fact, they often bring innovative ideas that can improve products or services to their company’s attention and can complete their jobs efficiently with or without accommodations.
Unfortunately, right now, there are people with disabilities who are making subminimum wage and are not afforded job opportunities that are community-based. Hire Me SC advocates for the establishment of Employment First practices in South Carolina and for the end of subminimum wage, and — whether you have a family member or loved one with a disability or not — you should be an advocate, too. Help us change the culture of disability employment in South Carolina by getting involved.
Employment First is a movement towards fair and inclusive employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and you can learn more about the initiative and how to contribute here.
Tell your state legislators to end subminimum wage for people with disabilities by taking ~5 minutes of your time to fill out a short form.
When equal opportunities and pay are afforded to everyone in our society, our society improves as a whole.