WACH FOX 57: People with disabilities in South Carolina struggling to find jobs, new tool to help
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — LaMondre Pough knows the sting of rejection better than most when applying for jobs he’s well qualified for.
“They want to bring you in for a final interview, you show up – they say hey, looking for LaMondre, I say that’s me – they say, oh, okay, I’ll tell you what man, we’ve already filled the position,” said Pough.
Pough has spinal muscular atrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. Stints of unemployment led him to start his own business – Billion Strong. The company offers mentoring and career training to the disabled.
“I started thinking if they won’t hire me – I’ll just hire myself,” said Pough. “When people see or hear that you’re a person with a disability, they don’t think adding something ‘adding something to society’. They don’t think adding value.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — LaMondre Pough knows the sting of rejection better than most when applying for jobs he’s well qualified for.
“They want to bring you in for a final interview, you show up – they say hey, looking for LaMondre, I say that’s me – they say, oh, okay, I’ll tell you what man, we’ve already filled the position,” said Pough.
Pough has spinal muscular atrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. Stints of unemployment led him to start his own business – Billion Strong. The company offers mentoring and career training to the disabled.
“I started thinking if they won’t hire me – I’ll just hire myself,” said Pough. “When people see or hear that you’re a person with a disability, they don’t think adding something ‘adding something to society’. They don’t think adding value.”
It’s among the reasons Able South Carolina – launched ‘Hire Me SC’, an online tool to show employers the benefits of hiring people with disabilities – and also involve families in the process.
“It’s not just the right thing to do by hiring people with disabilities, but it’s also very smart business. Because it does improve the culture of your organization, and the diversity,” said ABLE SC executive director Kimberly Tissot.
Over forty two percent of the population with disabilities in South Carolina is unemployed, according to ABLE SC representatives. It’s three times as high If not more than the population without a known disability.
Tissot says the organization doesn’t want to just want to close that gap — it aims to change the employment culture statewide, and beyond.
“The biggest barrier for people with disabilities getting employment is really perception,” Tissot added. “What we did with a number of state partners is we all collaborated and partnered to really address the systemic issues.”
A leg up Pough and others say is desperately needed.
“By in large people with disabilities are underrepresented in terms of the labor force,” Pough went on to say. “We’re used to solving problems. We’re used to bringing unique perspectives. Businesses and organizations need to look at that as an asset.”