Empowering FUTURES
Gregory S. Fehribach Center at Eskenazi Health: Achieving Employment Equity for People with Physical Disabilities
AMERICANS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES EXPERIENCE POVERTY AT THE RATE OF THEIR NON-DISABLED PEERS
2X

31% 75% OF PHYSICALLY DISABLED COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY GRADUATES FOUND EMPLOYMENT IN 2023 COMPARED TO OF NON-DISABLED GRADUATES
Breaking Cycles, Achieving Equity
37% IN 2023, COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY GRADUATES WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES EARNED LESS THAN THOSE WITHOUT A PHYSICAL DISABILITY
In the United States, systemic barriers continue to hinder college and university graduates with physical disabilities, perpetuating cycles of poverty and limiting access to equitable employment opportunities. Americans with physical disabilities experience poverty at twice the rate of their non-disabled peers, and in 2023, only 31% of physically disabled college and university graduates found employment, compared to 75% of non-disabled graduates. The disparities don’t stop there:
even when employed, college and university graduates with physical disabilities earned 37% less than those without a physical disability.
These barriers create a cycle that can make independent living feel far from reach. Eskenazi Health is working to break this cycle and has already made significant strides toward employment equity for people with physical disabilities through the transformative work of the Gregory S. Fehribach Center at Eskenazi Health (Fehribach Center).
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Since its inception, the Fehribach Center has demonstrated remarkable success in career engagement for interns: of interns have either graduated and secured equitable employment or are continuing their education.
91%
95% of interns who have entered the workforce have found equitable employment—nearly three times the national average for college and university graduates with physical disabilities and higher than the national average for nondisabled graduates.
22
interns, including six at Eli Lilly and Company, have transitioned to full-time positions with the Indianapolis area companies where they interned.
“I learned that I am capable of living on my own and dealing with any disabilityrelated issues that arise as an adult with a disability.”
FEHRIBACH CENTER INTERN
Gregory S. Fehribach Center at Eskenazi Health: A Catalyst for Change
THE FEHRIBACH CENTER ACTS AS A CATALYST FOR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, EMPOWERING THEM TO REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND THRIVE. WITH ITS MISSION GAINING MOMENTUM IN THE MIDWEST, ESKENAZI HEALTH AIMS TO SHARE THE FEHRIBACH CENTER’S TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICES NATIONALLY.
The Fehribach Center’s impact is driven by a multi-dimensional approach:
• Internship Program: The heart of the Fehribach Center is matching college and university students with physical disabilities to paid internships with employers that align with their career goals.
• Research and Innovation: In partnership with top colleges and universities across the United States, the Fehribach Center conducts cutting-edge research to break down employment barriers and promote equity for physically disabled college and university students.
• Educational Outreach: The Fehribach Center extends its knowledge and resources to empower institutions and employers across Indiana and the nation to support students with physical disabilities.