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Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.    

Disability Inclusion Advocate, Author & Accessibility Consultant

Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized accomplished speaker, author, consultant, CEO, and Founder of Rossetti Enterprises LLC since January 1997. She is a leading expert in disability inclusion, universal design, and accessibility. Rosemarie acquired a spinal cord injury on June 13, 1998, crushed by a 7,000-pound tree while riding her bicycle, resulting in paralysis from the waist down. Her journey as a wheelchair user fuels her passion for accessibility and universal design.

She is celebrated for her inspiring story of resilience and motivational presentations on overcoming adversity. Rosemarie's work has made her a prominent figure in the disability community and a powerful advocate for accessibility, empowering individuals to live their fullest lives despite physical limitations.

Her keynotes focus on attaining competitive advantages through managing and embracing change, resilience, and motivation. Rosemarie is known as a national "roll" model and change agent, authoring the book "Take Back Your Life!"

Following her injury, she and her husband, Mark Leder, faced numerous challenges adapting their home to meet Rosemarie's accessibility needs. They led the design team and were the general contractors for their new home, the Universal Design Living Laboratory. They have lived in this nationally recognized model of accessible and universal design in Columbus since May 2012. This is the top-rated universal design home and garden in North America. This experience ignited her passion for creating environments usable by all, regardless of age or ability.

She is an internationally recognized speaker, sharing her story and advocating for accessible and universal design across industries, including architecture, interior design, and real estate. She has given numerous conference presentations, inspiring audiences with her message of inclusivity and the importance of accessible and universal design.

As an accessibility consultant, she helps clients enhance homes, workplaces, and other spaces for inclusivity. Rosemarie authored articles and her book "Universal Design Toolkit" on accessible and universal design. She continues to speak and consult to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

In her work promoting accessible and universal design, she shares her experiences and insights to inspire individuals, corporations, and organizations to create more inclusive spaces and attitudes.

Rossetti is an inspiring entrepreneur who rethinks design and building by spearheading discussions and experiments around re-imagined living and working spaces.

Rosemarie also consults with meeting professionals, providing insights to plan inclusive meetings and events. Her insights help save time, reduce stress, and successfully plan more diverse and inclusive meetings and events. Her presentations and accessibility tours focused on accommodating people with disabilities have transformed the meetings industry.

Rosemarie advises destination marketing organizations to enhance city accessibility and attract people with disabilities. In her work to improve the city's accessibility, she writes articles, helps to create websites, creates videos, and delivers presentations to business owners and managers.

Rossetti Enterprises LLC is a certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprise through Disability: IN, further reflecting her commitment to accessibility.

Her contributions to accessibility and universal design have earned recognition and awards, cementing her status as a respected advocate for inclusive environments.

Speech Topics

What is universal design?

Universal design is human-centered design, accommodating people of all sizes, ages, and abilities. A universal design approach is needed in the design and development of buildings, products, and environments to be useable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation, retrofitting, or specialized design. An environment such as a home or workplace with universal design features and products certainly makes life easier not only for those with mobility limitations but also for those who are young, old, short, or tall.

Benefits of Universal Design

Designing for inclusion and accessibility using the principles of universal design can make daily and work-life healthier, more productive, accessible, and safe. Universal Design will bring improvements in:

  • Efficiency

  • Health, Wellness, Safety

  • Social Participation

  • Inclusivity

  • Profitability for Businesses

Accommodation Defined

There is a difference between accessible design and universal design. Accessible design is more than just code compliance. Its major emphasis is on usability. Good accessible design includes usability and equity as a goal. Thus, the end result is the optimization of the human experience.

Universal design goes above compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, which are viewed as minimum standards. Universal design is a framework or philosophy benefitting people of all sizes, ages, and abilities. The people attending your events!

Attaining Competitive Advantages by Managing & Embracing Change

How do you find the will to move on when faced with life challenges?

This transformational experience will empower audience participants to embrace change, improve performance, and unlock their competitive advantage. Your organization’s associates will be revitalized and recharged - leaving with restored hope, happiness and an improved vision of their future.

Attendees develop an Action Plan with staying power that will support them in achieving their goals and taking charge of their lives today and in the months and years ahead.

Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. is a recognized role model and agent for change. Her own life was changed while riding a bicycle in 1998 when a 3 1/2 ton tree came crushing down on her. Paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury, Rossetti looked deep within herself and found new strength and new resolve.

Rossetti uses the 5 Lessons To Live By, learned during her recovery, to revitalize and recharge her audience. She taps into what motivates people to change their behavior, awaken their inner gifts, and find meaning in their lives.

As a recognized industry expert, rather than lecture, Rosemarie inspires participants to bring out the best in themselves through developing tenacity, perseverance, and resilience. She encourages taking advantage of opportunities following adversities so audience members can accomplish more with greater confidence.

Rosemarie taps into what motivates people to change their behavior, awaken their inner gifts, and find meaning in their lives.

Rosemarie’s positive approach to life touches all who hear her. Audiences are captured by her emotive speaking style that rallies them to her message. Her sensitive use of humor encourages laughing while you learn, a proven technique for greater retention of the core messages Rosemarie delivers.

Goal: Helping participants to …

  • Develop the motivation to push on when faced with adversity

  • Find the resilience to live life with conviction

  • Experience the sense of confidence and fulfillment in knowing the impossible is possible

  • Cope with change by adapting more quickly, modifying attitudes, and finding the courage to act rather than being acted upon

  • Move beyond fear to hope

  • Turn negatives into positives

  • Overcome obstacles

  • Recognize the key segments of the Wheel of Life that are deficient in their lives

  • Adjust their perspective and reduce stress when faced with adversity

  • Set realistic goals that balance life

Participants leave with new hope, happiness and a restored vision of their future!

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