Wright State named Top 3 campus for students with physical disabilities

Wright State was recognized as one of the best universities in the nation for students with physical disabilities. Pictured are Tom Webb, left, director of disability services, and Dan Darkow, who graduated from Wright State in 2015.

College Magazine has named Wright State University a Top 3 campus for students with physical disabilities.

College Magazine is a college guide and quarterly magazine, for students and families considering colleges. It is written and edited by college students.

The online and print resource said the following about its Top 10 universities that are excellent at supporting students with physical disabilities: “Some colleges go above and beyond to make the transition to college life easy for students with disabilities. These 10 schools offer accessible dorms, classrooms and transportation, plus they get the entire school body involved by advocating for awareness and inclusion for students with physical disabilities.”

“Wright State has many things of which to be proud. Our ongoing commitment to and advocacy for students with disabilities has allowed us to be an aspirational role-model within the higher education community,” said Tom Webb, director of disability services at Wright State. “We continue to find creative and innovative ways to enhance the inclusion and access of these often underserved students.”

Wright State University was ranked by College magazine No. 3 in the nation. It focused on the university’s service dog training program as an important area to highlight.

“Wright State University’s campus is built in a way with equal access and inclusion in mind,” said Dan Darkow, who graduated from Wright State in 2015 with a degree in management information systems. “Never before had I been able to navigate an environment with such ease, and from the first moment I rolled onto campus, I felt an immediate sense of interdependence and excitement about what opportunities could exist. I am so thankful for the physical accessibility of Wright State, as its core values of access and inclusion for all people of all abilities provided me a space to flourish and find my passions.”

Previously, Wright State has received national recognition for its commitment to accessibility. In 2012 the university was named among America’s top disability-friendly universities in a book designed to help high school students with disabilities select a college.

“College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities,” by Chris Wise Tiedemann, reported that Wright State and four other schools go above and beyond the rest in making independent living possible, offering the most supportive environments for students with serious physical disabilities to live on campus.

The book noted that Wright State has accessible housing, accessible transportation and a tunnel system that connects nearly all of the academic buildings on the Dayton Campus. In addition, the university has wheelchair sports and a good online guide to help disabled students prepare for college.

Students and families with disabilities are encouraged to reach out to the university’s Office of Disability Services to learn more about support services and infrastructure that support accessibility at Wright State. More information is available at wright.edu/diversity-and-inclusion/disability-services.