The Indianapolis Experience for People with Disabilities

Jessica Finkel with her parents, Ken and Ann.  Ken is a former OI Foundation Board President.

Jessica Finkel, program associate-professional programs, with the OI Foundation shares her thoughts below about her recent experiences in at the OIF National Conference in Indianapolis.

Finding out that the 2014 OIF National Conference was going to be held in Indianapolis was especially exciting for me; not only was I going to be a part of planning an OIF National Conference for the first time, but it was going to be in my hometown! Although I have not actually lived in Indianapolis since I graduated High School in 2008 (Go LC Bears!), it is a place I am proud to call home.

I love coming home to Indianapolis. It is incredible to see how the city has changed and improved over the past six years.

Indianapolis is a home to wide and accessible sidewalks, fabulous restaurants and welcoming people. Everywhere you go, the people of Indianapolis are there with a welcoming smile and a helping hand. I have to admit, I did not appreciate the friendly waves and smiles of neighbors and strangers until I left Indianapolis.  I sometimes miss being able to strike up a conversation with the stranger next to you, which certainly is not as welcomed in the Washington, D..C area, where I live now.

This year, the OI Foundation organized our first ever National Unbreakable Spirit™ Walk-n-Wheel along the downtown Canal Walk. Everywhere I turned, conference attendees were talking about how beautiful the canal and park areas were and how accessible the canal is. With more than 200 people participating, many in wheelchairs or using walkers, it felt like a casual afternoon stroll instead of a mile walk in 80-degree weather plus humidity.

Volunteers from the Indianapolis community showed up to help cheer on the participants and pass out water bottles. Again, showing their Midwestern hospitality, only smiles adorned the volunteers. A huge shout out to the Lawrence Central Key Club who spent their Thursday summer afternoon yelling “good job” and “you’re halfway there.” It really goes to show the greatness of the city and faces of Indianapolis.

After sitting in a forum all morning, a large group of us had decided to walk to Steak-n-Shake for lunch on Friday afternoon. While a little bit longer of a walk from the JW Marriott, it is an easy walk with the smooth sidewalks and drop-off ramps. Entering the restaurant’s to-go line there were at least five wheelchairs among the usual lunch crowd. The staff was quick to make sure signs and line dividers were moved so there was plenty of space for us. They even came around the counter to hand us our takeout instead of struggling to reach around the counter.

It is the small things that really make a difference- Indianapolis remembers that.

I have always loved calling Indianapolis my home and after the OIF National Conference, I am even more proud to do so.  Everyone absolutely loved the city and everything it had to offer: the restaurants, the zoo, the bars and more.

As a Hoosier at heart, I could not be more proud of the growth of the city of Indianapolis.

OI Foundation Board President Mark Birdwhistell cuts the ribbon at the inaugural National Unbreakable Spirit™ Walk-n-Wheel.

Welcoming the OI Foundation National Conference to Indianapolis

Yesterday, the Indianapolis Star today published a letter from me about our city's accessibility, and how it played a key role in landing the Osteogenesis Imperfecta's biennial national conference.  While is it an honor to welcome the members of the OI community to Indianapolis, I am so proud they will experience all our city has to offer in the coming days. 

Here is a link to the letter: 

http://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/07/29/indys-accessibility-draws-national-conference-accolades/13321927/

The 24th Anniversary of the ADA: Students Striving for Economic Equality

Front row, left to right:  Colin McIntire, Will Kuhn, Matthew Marshall, Greg Fehribach, Dustin Gilmer and Andrew Seever.  Second row, left to right:  Larry Markle, director of the Office of Disability Services at Ball State University; Juli Paini, director of the City of Indianapolis Office of Disability Affairs; Dr. Ray Scheele, professor of Political Science and co-director of the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University.  Andrew Seever is an intern for the City of Indianapolis’ Office of Disability Affairs.

On July 26, our nation marks the 24^th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

For people with disabilities, their colleagues and friends, the 24^th anniversary represents landmark civil rights legislation that has improved the lives of millions of people.   While the ADA has opened doors to people with disabilities, we lag behind the rest of the population in terms of ability to secure economic equality. 

College students with disabilities are particularly at a disadvantage in obtaining employment after graduation.  Employers often see the disability, and not the work ethic or determination that actually pushed the student through college.  In fact, people with disabilities are often effective and loyal employees.

I am privileged to work with Ball State University’s Bowen Center for Public Affairs and Eskenazi Health to establish paid internships for students with disabilities at one of our nation’s premier public hospitals.  This summer, four Ball State University students are interning at Eskenazi, gaining valuable professional and personal experiences. 

It has literally been life changing for these students, as reflected by their remarks on their internships:

My internship at Eskanazi has, in no uncertain terms, changed my life; it has given me confidence, determination, and experiences that I feel will be helpful in many aspects of my life. My job entails assisting the therapists in any way they need, and through this I have learned more than I could have asked for about how a hospital functions, and more importantly to me, how I can function in a hospital environment. Before this, I was very concerned with how exactly I could be a doctor, or even have a job at all. Now I know that even though it may take some extra work, there is nothing stopping me from entering the work force as whatever I want.

Matthew Marshall, Physical Therapy Department

This internship has been more than I anticipated it would be. I have been able to use the skills I have been given by my university to confirm my desires to pursue a career in the media industry. I have been able to craft my writing into meaningful projects that will impact the community, I have been able to work with a team of experts that love their job and are willing to help others learn and improve as a team working together, and I have also been able to prove to myself that I can be a working member in society doing the things I love to do! 

Dustin Gilmer, Public Affairs Department

 This internship has been amazing. The people I work with are amazing, the experience that I am getting is going to help me in my future job and it does help that we get to earn a paycheck too. This internship is pretty much my first job and I just love it. The Hospital in general is amazing too. Coming to work in the morning and everyone says hi to you. There is not a better feeling than that. As you can tell I really love this internship. 

Will Kuhn, Public Affairs Department

On behalf of the Bowen Center Disability Project, I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Eskenazi internship team for investing in these students. In doing so, they are developing an employment model that businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations can mirror.

This group of interns is learning that the American dream can be achieved. Their hard work in the classroom and throughout their internships is a big step towards that goal. By expanding meaningful and sustainable economic opportunities for students with disabilities, we can continue to fulfill the promise of the ADA.

2014 Recipients of the Fehribach Awards

Front row, left to right:  Emmy Kaiser, Jacob Lipson, Colin McIntire.  Back row, left to right:  Greg Fehribach, Mary Beth Fehribach, Sarah Sims, Jamie Barnes, Kasey Herrington.

Last month, Mary Beth and I presented the 2014 Fehribach Awards to an outstanding group of students.

We have been involved in the awards since 2009, when a longtime award and scholarship opportunity was renamed the Fehribach Awards.  Since then, we have honored five to six outstanding Ball State University students each year.   We are proud to stand with these students and recognize their individual achievements despite their physical challenges.

In today’s economic world, college graduates with disabilities face an uphill climb in securing meaningful and sustainable employment.  However, statistics have shown that these graduates can have a profound impact on our communities at large.   Guided by the Disabled Student Development Department and its director, Larry Markle, these young men and women are well positioned to leave a lasting mark on their professions.

Allow me to share the following 2014 Fehribach Award winners:

Sarah Sims, a junior Social Work major, has been involved with both the Alliance for Disability Awareness and the Faculty Mentorship Program. Maintaining a 3.5 GPA, she is also a member of Grace Village Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry, where she worked for a semester. Along with fellow Fehribach Award winner Emmy Kaiser, Sarah helped to start a wheelchair basketball group for students with and without disabilities.

Jamie Barnes, a senior Special Education major, is involved with Ball State Dance Marathon and helps coach Special Olympics. She also works 30-40 hours a week as a respite care provider at Bridges of Indiana. During her freshman year, Jamie was involved in the Faculty Mentorship Program, a program that pairs students with disabilities with a faculty mentor in their field of study.

Kasey Herrington, also a senior Special Education major, has maintained a 3.6 GPA, while being involved with the Alliance for Disability Awareness as well as Students for Education Reform.  She has served as a personal care attendant, physical assistant, and note taker for students with disabilities. Kasey is also currently taking part in the Pathways to PhD program.

Emmy Kaiser is a graduate student, studying for her Master of Arts in Sports Psychology, with a 3.7 GPA.  A 2012 Paralympian, Emmy is the #1 ranked women’s tennis player in the United States and does many presentations and demonstrations on wheelchair sports and the experiences of paralympic athletes. While at Ball State, Emmy started a wheelchair basketball group with fellow Fehribach Award winner Sarah Sims for students with and without disabilities.

Jacob Lipson, a senior Theatre major, is the first in his major who is a wheelchair user at Ball State. He has written a play that has been read twice on campus, and writes reviews for films and plays.  As a freshman, Jake took part in the Faculty Mentorship Program.

Colin McIntire, a junior Computer Science major, is a member of the Honors College, maintaining a 3.7 GPA. He is a member of the BSU Power Soccer Club, of which he has been a member for three years. Colin has travelled with the team to tournaments throughout the United States and plans to participate in the national tournament this summer.

Congratulations to our 2014 Fehribach Award winners!