Youth with disabilities foster leadership and advocacy skills at a statewide forum
July 17, 2023
Dozens of youth with disabilities from across the state gather next week at Presbyterian College to develop leadership and advocacy skills with the SC Youth Leadership Forum.
Hosted by Able South Carolina (Able SC), the SC Youth Leadership Forum (SCYLF) is a four-day, three-night leadership intensive experience open to juniors, seniors, and those who recently completed high school with any type of disability. During the forum, through several different breakout sessions and interactive events, will learn about independent living, advocacy, employment, and disability pride.
“We believe that youth with disabilities deserved to guide their own lives with their own choices at the center, and the annual Youth Leadership forum gives them a place to learn and practice those key skills of self advocacy,” said Troy Hall, Director of Youth Transition Programs with Able SC, “Here they can go further and build new social networks, develop a sense of pride, and learn to become leaders in their community.”
The 2023 event will host a number of speakers ranging from those famous for their disability advocacy, those who have been dedicated to local grassroots advocacy, to former SCYLF delegates who’ve used the skills they learned as a youth and applied them to their personal advocacy and professional career.
The SC Youth Leadership Forum seeks to equip young people with disabilities with the tools they need to become leaders in their communities. By spending four days in an intensive setting, these youth will not only receive the education they need to accomplish their leadership goals, but they will also leave with memories that will impact their personal values for years to come.
Hosted by Able SC, SC Youth Leadership Forum is made possible by our many funders, sponsors, and partners. We thank South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council, Abacus Planning Group, Inc., Gregory Electric Company, Inc., McGuire Woods Consulting, Bluestien Attorneys, and Publix for their support that makes SCYLF possible. We honor AccessAbility, Family Connection of SC, SC Assistive Technology Program, and Walton Options for Independent Living for their continued partnership.
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.
