Able South Carolina is a nonprofit, disability-led organization, established in 1994. Their mission is to equip people with disabilities with the tools to foster pride, and to direct their own lives.
In 2024, President & CEO Kimberly Tissot joined Vice President Mary Alex Kopp and Senior Director of Community Education, Dori Tempio, at StoryCorps. The three discussed Able S.C.’s core values and the organization’s vision for true equity for people with disabilities.
TRANSCRIPT:
Kopp: I know a lot of folks are not familiar with what we mean when we say “independent living movement,” so, I would appreciate it if, Kimberly and Dori, y'all could kind of talk a little bit about a brief history of what that has been in South Carolina, but maybe first define what independent living is.
Tissot: Yeah, so, independent living movement, it's not independent living facilities, which, they actually stole our name. We're actually anti independent living facilities. The movement really started in South Carolina in 1994 when our organization opened. We were the first organization like ours, which is a federally recognized center for independent living, which is a disability-led organization, that is really here to ensure that the voices of people with disabilities are being heard, that we are not being controlled by family members or policymakers or medical community. Our voices are the most important to ensure that our rights are not only being protected, but we have equity in the community.
Tempio: Independent living for me was a big journey because when I started out life, I was born in 1970. In 1970, if your biological parents couldn't take care of you, you were placed in a state institution for people with profound intellectual and developmental disabilities. And at that time of my life, I spent about five years, six years of my life there, and the stigma that goes along with that when you are integrated into society...and I remember being adopted and people having very low expectations for me. When I first started going to public school, you could only go to school with people with disabilities.
Tissot: When I was younger, I had a doctor tell me, you know, “You should look at,” (as a teenager, I really wanted to live on my own, quickly)
Tempio: Me, too.
Tissot: You know, “You should look at this apartment complex that only has people with disabilities.” And like, I'm just like, “This is not my goal, to be segregated in the community.”
Tempio: I want to see a South Carolina that truly does meaningful equity and inclusion, not just, let's use a buzzword or check a box.
Tissot: Right.
Tempio: I want to see people giving disabled individuals opportunities for employment. I mean, we're the largest unemployed group in the state and nationwide. And, people want to work, they should have the right to work. It shouldn't be assumed either that we can only do certain jobs.
Tissot: Or just get Social Security, because that keeps you significantly under the poverty line.
Tempio: I would love to one day, I know you would too, Kimberly, and you would too, Mary Alex, be out of a job. If I could, if I could see true, meaningful equity, that would be amazing! But I'm still here until that happens.
