Disabilities

Anderson Mayor's Committee on Disability
(formerly known as the Mayor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities)

Interested in becoming a part of a progressive and diverse group of individuals with special interest in persons with disabilities? Take part in convenient, lunch hour meetings (please bring your own lunch) to assist in carrying out our mission, and help promote our goals. The Committee meets on the third Wednesday of every other month (odd months), 12-1:00 p.m., Anderson Recreation Center, Murray Avenue.

Purpose
To promote the employment of people with disabilities and improve overall access for citizens with disabilities in our community.

Mission

To create community awareness of the needs and abilities of persons with disabilities.
To encourage involvement in the community through promotion of gainful employment.
To remove architectural barriers.
To act as an educational, public relations, and advisory agency for persons with disabilities, businesses, organizations and the overall community.

Sponsored Activities

Architectural Barrier Surveys – Review facilities and public areas for accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and state laws.
Informational Outreach – Provide information on state and federal legislation, such as special licensing, tax credits, codes, and parking requirements.
Seminars in Industry – Provide employers with helpful information concerning ADA compliance and reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with disabilities.
Awards Presentations – Recognize those who have made significant contributions in the area of employing disabled persons and improving opportunities for citizens with disabilities.
Journalism Contest – Make high school juniors and seniors aware of various aspects of disability through their research and interviews for their reports.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month – Promote events to focus on the merits of employment of persons with disabilities including a Disability Fair.

History
People with disabilities have traditionally had difficulty in leading "normal" lives, primarily because of attitudinal barriers. Society has focused on an individual's disability rather than his/her ability, limiting the individual from taking an active role in the community.

Committee history dates as far back as 1949, when Governor Strom Thurmond established a "Governor's Committee" to promote what was then called "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." This committee was made up of prominent leaders in the community who combined their resources to publicize the potential of people with disabilities in the workplace.

The committee's work eventually expanded beyond that annual week of recognition to include a year-round approach to promoting the employment of people with disabilities and supporting efforts for improvements in accessibility to public buildings and businesses by people with disabilities.

The Governor's Committee was affiliated with the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped for many years, during which state level Governor's Committee award winners, including essay contest winners from South Carolina schools, were eligible for national recognition. The committee began to become less active over time and changes in legislative leadership.

Recognizing the general need for educating the public on the many myths surrounding the disabled, the South Carolina Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities was reorganized and reactivated in March, 1977 by Governor James Edwards. The Committee was responsible for promoting employment of disabled individuals by creating statewide interest in their rehabilitation and employment, and by generating support from public and private groups in the community.

After the passing of the American's with Disabilities Act of 1990, the President's Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities was established (using the knew name) and in joint efforts the Governors' Committees and Mayors' Committees had increased focus in promoting access to employment and other areas of life for people with disabilities.

Today, the Governor's Committee works cooperatively with a network of Mayor's Committees on Employment of People with Disabilities in several of South Carolina's major cities. Anderson is one of the active committees represented on the S.C. Governor's Committee for Employment of People with Disabilities.

The Anderson Mayor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities changed its name to the Anderson Mayor's Committee on Disability in 2000 to more reflect the total work of the organization. Employment of people with disabilities remains a primary focus but total access, respect and inclusion in society is the ultimate goal.

For more information: Sandy Hanebrink, OTR/L, Co-Chair (864) 221-4011, or email at mayors_committee_disability@charter.net or Michelle King, Co-Chair at: (864) 356-0237, or e-mail at lamaking2000@yahoo.com.

Links

Additional information about these business topics concerning accommodations for individuals with disabilities are in:

There is also a wide array of tax benefits available to persons with disabilities, ranging from standard deductions and exemptions to business and itemized deductions to credits. Information about these issues is in Publication 3966, Living and Working with Disabilities (PDF).

Additional information and important links from other government agencies:

South Carolina Building Codes Council: Building Accessibility Program History and Overview
South Carolina became the first state in the country to recognize the need for access to buildings and structures by disabled persons. In 1963, the state legislature adopted the 1961 edition of the American National Standards Institute Document A117.1 (Specifications For Making Buildings And Facilities Accessible To, And Useable By, The Physically Handicapped) as its minimum accessibility standard. Although the statute went into effect, the legislature (and thus the law) did not provide for the prior review of building plans for the barrier-free elements in new construction or for field enforcement by building inspectors during construction.

In 1974, Act 1191 repealed the 1963 Act and created the South Carolina Board for Barrier Free Design and the South Carolina Barrier Free Design Program. The Board was created to establish, publish and enforce standards necessary to eliminate architectural barriers to entry and use of public and governmental buildings, by citizens with physical disabilities. After a two-year study of other state and federal standards, the Board approved its "Model" standard in December 1976. New regulations were adopted on July 19, 1977. In 1977, the first edition of the "Illustrated Manual of Barrier Free Design for South Carolina" was published and made available by the Board. The statute was amended in 1978 by Act 540, giving the Board more independent authority. The regulations were also amended to coincide with the statute. The second and final edition of the Manual was published in May of 1980.

In 1982, the 1980 edition of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Document A117.1 replaced the Manual as the minimum standard for the state. Additional statutory amendments occurred in 1990 (Act 400 and Act 422), in 1991 (Act 82) and in 1993 (Act 181).

On June 13, 1997, the Statewide Building Codes Act was signed into law by Governor Beasley. The Act required all cities and counties in the state to adopt and enforce building codes at the local level. Once the state gave local jurisdictions the mandate to enforce building codes, it required them to enforce the barrier free design requirements as well.

Due to the shift in enforcement authority to the local jurisdictions, the Board for Barrier Free Design's workload decreased. Recognizing that its workload would continue to diminish, as more cities and counties developed building inspection departments, the Board drafted a piece of legislation that would direct its own demise.

In 2001, the legislature authorized by statute, that the Board for Barrier Free Design would function until July 1, 2002, at which time it ceased to exist. On the same date, a standing committee of the Building Codes Council, known as the Accessibility Committee, was created to absorb the remaining duties and responsibilities of the Board for Barrier Free Design. The Accessibility Committee presently functions as an advisory body for the Building Codes Council.

Source: SC Department of Labor