Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced two South Carolina organizations will receive more than $460,000 in grants to support employment programs for persons with disabilities. The South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department will receive $252,924 to recruit, train, and maintain twenty “Disability Specialists” who can serve as coaches and mentors for rehabilitation staff throughout the state. These specialists will have the skills necessary to better serve those with the most significant disabilities, including spinal cord injury, brain injury, deafness, and mental illness. The Disability Action Center, Inc. (DAC) in Columbia will receive $207,109 to help increase opportunities for people with disabilities to enter competitive employment in the residential construction industry. DAC with partner with the National Association of Homebuilders and the Home Builders Institute for this project. Both grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####