Office of Disability Services receives Advocacy Award from the Governor’s Council on People with DisabilitiesThe Governor’s Council on People with Disabilities has awarded Wright State’s Office of Disability Services its Health and Welfare Advocacy Award for 2009.
The award is among five the council gives annually to individuals and organizations who have shown outstanding leadership and determination on behalf of people with disabilities.
The Advocacy Award honors an individual or organization that has developed a new initiative or has made a significant improvement to an existing program that materially improves the quality of life for one or more individuals with disabilities.
“Receiving this award speaks to the diligence of our disability services staff who work tirelessly every day to advocate for individuals with disabilities,” said Jeffrey Vernooy, director of the Office of Disability Services. “Our mission is help a group of people—who would otherwise live on the edge of poverty—get the education and future employment they need to use their abilities to bring Ohio into economic prosperity.”
Wright State leads the nation in helping individuals with disabilities overcome barriers to finish college degrees. The Office of Disability Services serves approximately 500 students with disabilities. Wright State is also home to numerous faculty and staff members with disabilities.
Since 1970, Wright State has maintained a commitment to foster a culture of acceptance and inclusion of students with disabilities, providing:
- Educational assistive and adaptive technology training
- Regional college and university transition services for students and parents
- Support services, such as personal assistants for daily tasks
- Information to individuals, organizations, and employers on disability-related
issues
- Advocacy for persons with disabilities
- Employer assistance in determining methods to hire and accommodate people with disabilities
- Community outreach programs
This year, Wright State kicked off Ohio’s STEM Ability Alliance—a five-year program funded by a $3 million National Science Foundation grant to recruit Ohio students with disabilities to enter the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields in the Dayton and Columbus regions. Wright State leads the program, which also includes Sinclair Community College, The Ohio State University, and Columbus State Community College.
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