In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, professionals who influence hiring decisions within their company or agency will gather on October 10, 2017 for a workshop on the benefits of hiring people with disabilities and how to effectively recruit from this untapped workforce. The event will include lunch and sessions led by employers with experience in hiring inclusively. Registration for this event will remain open until venue capacity has been reached. “We know that people making hiring decisions have been aware of the benefits of having a diverse staff for some time,” says Sandy Jordan, Director of Employment Programs at Able South Carolina. “People with disabilities, however, encounter many barriers to gainful employment and face an unemployment rate that is far higher than that of South Carolinians without disabilities. Providing avenues for bringing awareness to these issues to those making hiring decisions is a vital part of working towards a South Carolina that engages the entirety of its workforce." “Inclusion Drives Innovation: An Employer Summit on Hiring Individuals with Disabilities in South Carolina” is brought to you by the SC Disability Employment Coalition, a collaborative effort of over thirty employers, state, and private agencies working to address the employment barriers of people with disabilities in South Carolina. Sponsors for the event include Verizon, SC Society of Human Resource Management, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, SC Commission for the Blind, and the SC Lowcountry Business Leadership Network. The SC Disability Employment Coalition is made possible with funding from the SC Developmental Disabilities Council and the Administration on Community Living. Lunch is provided, and the event is approved for 2.75 SHRM and HRCI credit hours. The agenda includes a panel of employer and education professionals; strategies to improve recruitment; practical tips for establishing an effective inclusive employment strategy; networking opportunities with disability resource providers and more. “Inclusion Drives Innovation: An Employer Summit on Hiring Individuals with Disabilities in South Carolina” will be from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on October 10th, 2017 at the River Center at Saluda Shoals – Columbia, SC 29212.  Interested participants can register by visiting www.scdisabilityemploymentcoalition.org, calling 1.800.681.6805, or emailing [email protected].