National Disability Employment Month

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The theme for this year is “Because We Are EQUAL to the Task.”  Studies show that people with disabilities are vastly underutilized in our nation’s workforce. People with disabilities have many talents and abilities to offer, and employers throughout the tri-county area of Upstate South Carolina are finding well-prepared, qualified workers through the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department, which works to enable people with disabilities to prepare for, achieve, and maintain competitive employment. Last year, more than 5,400 South Carolinians with disabilities became employed after receiving South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department services; which ranks the Palmetto State third in the nation in the number of people rehabilitated in relation to population. The department also partners with businesses and industries that outsource work to the Vocational Rehabilitation training center.