DisAbility Inclusion
Education Chair: Parnika Adusumalli (she/her)
Email: adusumalli.5@osu.edu
MISSION:
The DisAbility Inclusion Affinity Group was formed to build a supportive, safe community for differently abled/disabled engineers, caregivers, and allies to network and develop themselves professionally. A community that acknowledges the unique challenges related to having a disability (physical, developmental, invisible, and mental) or caring for loved ones while also being an engineer.
Ohio State General Support
SLDS is an office within Ohio State that coordinates support services and programs
for students with disabilities. SLDS aims to remove barriers to education and overall university
life by providing exam accommodations, note-taking support, attendance modifications, assistive
technology, accessible media, sign language interpreting/transcribing, housing/dining
accommodations, disability parking/adaptive transportation, faculty consultation, and advocacy.
The office also connects students with disabilities to a variety of campus and community
resources.
Website: https://slds.osu.edu/
Email: slds@osu.edu
Exam Accommodations Email: slds-exam@osu.edu
Phone: 614-292-3307
Staff Contacts for Consultations: https://slds.osu.edu/faculty-staff/points-of-contact/
Address: 098 Baker Hall, 113 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210
The OSU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic is part of the Department of Speech and
Hearing Science under the College of Arts of Sciences. It has been around since 1930. It offers an
extensive range of services for preschoolers, school-age children, and adults with disorders of
hearing, articulation, language, voice, or fluency who receive assessment and intervention from
experienced staff of audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
Website: https://sphs.osu.edu/clinic
Phone: 614-292-6251
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
Address: 141 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210
The Nisonger Center is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities. It provides assistance to children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities through
clinical services, research, and educational as well as social programs. These programs include
Aspirations Ohio, Autism College Experience (Ace!), Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC), and
Transition Options in Postsecondary Settings (TOPS), which are all helpful for students. The
center also offers a scholarship to cover all or part of the costs of its services.
Website: https://nisonger.osu.edu/
Aspirations Ohio: https://nisonger.osu.edu/ adolescent/ adolescent- clinics- services/
aspirations-ohio-2/
Ace!: https://nisonger.osu.edu/adolescent/ace-autism-college-experience-at-osu/
Ace! Contact: Karen Krainz Edison (karen.krainzedison@osumc.edu)
NCBC: https://nisonger.osu.edu/adult/adult- clinics-services/next- chapter-book-club/
TOPS: https://nisonger.osu.edu/adult/adult-clinics-services/tops/
Email: nisongeradmin@osumc.edu
Phone: 614-685-3192
Address: McCampbell Hall (Room 357), 1581 Dodd Drive, Columbus, OH 43210
The Disability Studies Program is an interdisciplinary academic program that was
established in 1997. It is part of the Department of English under the College of Arts and
Sciences. It explores disability from political, cultural, and social perspectives. The program
includes a Disability Studies Minor for undergraduate students, Disability Studies Graduate
Interdisciplinary Specialization for graduate students, and Disability Studies Graduate Student
Association. There are even opportunities within the program to pursue an internship or
independent study (through the means of a course).
Website: https://english.osu.edu/disability-studies
Email for Advising Related Questions: speck.61@osu.edu (Rachael Speck)
Email for Non-Advising Related Questions: disabilitystudies@osu.edu
Listserv to Receive Updates and Information: dsosu@lists.osu.edu
Student Life Recreation Sports supports the participation of individuals with
disabilities in all programs and services at no additional cost.
Accommodation Request Form:
https://www.connect2mycloud.com/OnlineModules/PublicForm/FillOutPublicForm?formCode=
8ede6a6e-eb69-4338-b498-4c6562d8239d
Website: https://recsports.osu.edu/membership-access/inclusive-recreation
OSU Student Organizations:
Career and Professional Development
OOD is a state of Ohio agency that empowers Ohioans with disabilities through
employment, disability determinations, and independence. Ohio College2Careers is a
partnership between OOD and OSU. It aims for students with disabilities to complete their
degree, earn higher wages, and meet the demands of the labor market by offering services such
as career exploration and counseling, resume and interview preparation, internships and
permanent employment, connection to employers, assistance with navigating OhioMeansJobs
resources, and more.
Website: https://ood.ohio.gov/
Ohio College2Careers Counselors embedded at OSU: Shelby Koehler
(Shelby.koehler@ood.ohio.gov) and Daniel Samit (Daniel.samit@ood.ohio.gov)
Lime Connect is a global 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects professionals and
university students who have any type of disability with professional opportunities. Members
are eligible to attend networking events along with applying for scholarships and awards,
leadership programs, internships, co-ops, and full-time positions with the world’s leading
corporations that are Lime Connect’s partners. Lime Connect helps members build skills,
connections, and confidence to navigate the workplace as a person with a disability.
Website: https://limeconnect.com/
Join the Community (Choose a Membership Type): https://limeconnect.com/join-us/
Entry Point! is a program of the AAAS Project on Science, Technology, and Disability
that recruits, interviews, and refers both undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities
for paid 10-12 week summer internships with its partners (which are Fortune 500 companies,
university research settings, and government agencies throughout the country). The partners
pay stipends and provide assistive technology and any other accommodations. Travel funds and
recommendations for accessible housing and transportation can also be provided to students
who are relocating. Entry Point! seeks students who are living in the United States and legally
authorized to work in the United States, majoring in STEM, full-time for the academic term
before and after the internship, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Acceptance to the program is on
a rolling basis.
Website: https://www.aaas.org/programs/entry-point
Application: https://www.aaas.org/programs/entry-point/apply
Email for Questions: entrypoint@aaas.org (Laureen Summers, Project Director)
Undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates (received
postsecondary degree on or after April 1st, 2024) with disabilities who are U.S. citizens and from
a U.S. accredited college/university can apply to WRP . Once qualified candidates make it throughthe application and interview process, their information is placed in a talent database for one
year that employers in the public and private sector use to hire for internships and permanent
jobs.
Website: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/wrp
Information on Registering: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/wrp/students
AAPD Summer Internship Program places undergraduate students, graduate
students, law students, and recent graduates with all types of disabilities in paid summer
internships with Congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations
within the Washington, D.C. area. Throughout the summer, AAPD interns participate in a 1 week
orientation, work from Monday-Thursday (32 hours), participate in weekly programming on
Fridays, attend various networking events, and connect with a one-on-one mentor who provides
career guidance. Interns are paid a living stipend and transportation to and from Washington,
D.C. In-person interns are provided fully accessible housing. Remote interns receive a
technology, internet, and a housing stipend if applicable. The AAPD Fall Internship Program is an
expansion of the Summer Internship Program. It is 14 weeks long. Interns work part-time and
virtually for 15 hours a week so they can still participate while in school or balancing other work
commitments.
Summer Internship Program: https://www.aapd.com/summer-internship-program/
Fall Internship Program: https://www.aapd.com/fall-internship-program/