NEWBERRY — The month of March is designated as Disabilities Awareness Month. In the state of South Carolina, recognizing Disabilities Awareness Month entails a trip to the State House, which is observed on the first Wednesday of March.

“That day is typically used for our stakeholders, and stakeholders being the people we support to have the opportunity to go and talk with Rep. Rick Martin and Sen. Ronnie Cromer to advocate for our folks and the things that they need,” said Cindy Farr, Quality Enhancement Director with the Newberry County Disabilities and Special Needs Board.

Farr said that in the past, they had advocated for not cutting the budget, saying that fortunately that hasn’t been an issue.

She said that they hope to advocate for more public transportation, along with affordable housing.

“The majority of the folks that we support do not drive. But if they are going to have jobs in the community, if they are going to live in the community and get to services like the grocery store, they have to have transportation. Public transportation is a huge thing for us. Affordable housing is also a big issue for folks that we support. So we do advocate for those types of things,” said Farr.

Farr also said that this year was unique because instead of being called Disability Advocacy/Awareness Month, the name on the day of March 1 was changed to Community Engagement Day.

Community Engagement Day focused on bringing the community to the State House to say “This is why I employ people with disabilities” or “This is why I’m a volunteer.”

“One of the things we’re really working hard on, not just our agency, but across the state and nation, is bridging the folks we support with the community. People that we support want to have all of the same things that a person without a disability has. So when you look at that and how we live, it all involves the community, whether it’s your relationships in the community or going to church. The community is a vital part of what we do,” said Farr.

NCDSNB recently wrapped up a leadership program called Let’s Talk and also participated in a back to school supply drive at Gallman Elementary. In February, NCDSNB clients also helped out the furry friends at the Newberry County Animal Shelter by making dog treats and delivering them to the animals.

“We’re continuously trying to find ways to give back to the community. While March is designated as Disabilities Awareness Month, we don’t try to put everything we do into one month, we try to do things throughout the year to involve the folks in the community and to give back to them and to some of the churches that support us,” said Farr.

The NCDSNB works to continuously raise awareness about disabilities in the state of South Carolina.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Gala2.jpgThe NCDSNB works to continuously raise awareness about disabilities in the state of South Carolina. Kelly Duncan | The Newberry Observer

By Kelly Duncan

kduncan@civitasmedia.com

Reach Kelly Duncan at 803-768-3123 ext. 1868 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.