Author Disability Trainer Motivational Keynote Wheelchair User

Rosemarie Rossetti

Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., is a globally recognized expert, speaker, consultant, and advocate for accessibility, universal design, and disability inclusion. Her personal journey and professional expertise drive her mission to create inclusive environments and improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.

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. 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.

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.

VIDEOS:
Meetings and Event Inclusion

Ted X Talk: Universal Design in Everyday Life

 

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