Able South Carolina and Hire Me SC announce the 10th annual Employer Summit, scheduled during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, on Wednesday, October 1, from 10 am to 3 pm. The event will be hosted at the Michelin Conference Center in Greenville, SC. The registration fee is $95 and includes tracks for employers and disability service providers.

What is the Employer Summit?

The Employer Summit is a one-day conference for business managers, executives, HR professionals, and service providers who are ready to strengthen their workforce and the economy by including people with disabilities. While one in four people in the United States has a disability, one in three South Carolinians has a disability; meanwhile, 60% of people with disabilities in this state are unemployed. By embracing the 2025 NDEAM theme, “Celebrating Value and Talent,” the Summit will showcase disabled employees as a workforce that employers can’t afford to overlook.

What education tracks are offered?

In the interest of improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities and building a more resilient workforce, the summit will host two tracks: a track for employers with topics covering designing inclusive workplaces and the impact of AI on the future of work and employment, and a track for service providers with topics ceneterd on sustaining job placement success and job search tools that work from the perspective of those with lived experience. "Including a provider track is essential," said Marly Saade, Director of Employment Programs at Able South Carolina. "Engaging providers strengthens collaboration with employers, helping people with disabilities retain jobs, advance, and thrive in the workplace."

Who is the keynote speaker?

Employers and providers will come together over lunch for a panel discussion, aimed at strengthening their cooperative relationships, and benefit from a presentation by the Keynote speaker and globally recognized disability advocate, Anna Schmid. Her presentation will tackle the question, “What does it take to create a workplace where disabled employees feel safe, seen, and valued?”

How can businesses and providers engage with and support this event?

Sponsorship opportunities to support the event and the efforts of the event organizer, Able South Carolina, are available. Sponsors are privy to perks, including recognition and tickets to attend the event. For individuals, the registration fee is typically $95. However, the event is offering an early bird registration special of $75 per person, now through July 15th. Registration is open at hiremesc.org/employer-summit, where visitors can also find information about partnering with the event through sponsorship or by becoming a vendor. Nationally transferable SHRM and HRCI credits for attendees are pending.

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.

ABOUT HIRE ME SC

People with disabilities can work, want to work, and should be afforded every opportunity to work. Powered by Able South Carolina and the South Carolina Disability Employment Coalition (SCDEC, a coalition formed to eliminate employment barriers for individuals with disabilities), Hire Me SC is a campaign that promotes a culture of inclusion across the state of South Carolina, one in which employment for every individual, disability or not, is the norm rather than the exception. Learn more at http://www.hiremesc.org.