Office of Disability Services offers new orientation program for incoming freshmen

Wright State’s Office of Disability Services will offer its PreFlight orientation program for first-year students with disabilities Aug. 23 to Aug. 27. (Photo by Will Jones)

Wright State’s Office of Disability Services is launching a new program, PreFlight, designed to meet the needs of first-year students with disabilities to equip them with skills and campus resources to make their college education a success.

The PreFlight program will be held Sunday, Aug. 23, to Thursday, Aug. 27. A maximum of 20 first-year college students are allowed in the program. The cost is $450.

The program teaches students self advocacy, communication skills, academic survival skills and how to access campus resources. Students will also engage with the campus community to ease their first-year experience.

“The transition from high school to college is a big one. For most students, this transition can be challenging,” said Jen Barga, disability and STEM support specialist. “The PreFlight program really hopes to ease the transition for incoming students, while addressing the specific needs of students with disabilities.”

The program was created after Barga worked with a grant from the Ohio Stem Ability Alliance for high school students with disabilities in the STEM program. She wanted to see how Wright State could move forward in transitioning high school students with disabilities to college.

Students participating in PreFlight will have an advantage of knowing campus resources, skill building and gaining relationships with other students and faculty with disabilities through a one-on-one basis.

“It will engage them in the Wright State community. … We want them to feel that this is where they belong and will work with them on skills that will make them successful and watch them as they grow,” Barga said.

For more information about PreFlight, contact Jen Barga at (937) 775- 5680 or jennifer.barga@wright.edu or visit the Office of Disability Services in 180 University Hall.