The Gregory S. Fehribach Center

The Fehribach Center provides a paid internship program and professional development for college students with physical disabilities at Eskenazi Health and other employer partners in Indiana.

Eight-week internships are offered each summer, with a small number also provided in the spring and fall. These paid, full-time internships are in fields related to the student’s major, with housing and transportation assistance offered when needed. Interns are matched with programs and departments that align with their academic pursuits, interests and/or career goals. Weekly professional development workshops have included topics such as interviewing skills, disclosure and self-advocacy, leadership skills and opportunities, personal finance, professional etiquette, and strategies for advancement in the workplace.

Interns are placed in either a department within Eskenazi Health or with one of the growing number of partner employers. In each case, the placement directly aligns with that intern’s career goals. Examples of the diverse range of internship areas include:

• Health care/nursing
• Information technology
• Public affairs/communications
• Engineering
• Supply chain management
• Social work
• Research
• Human resources
• Accounting/finance
• Education
• Project management

Qualifications to participate in an internship with the Fehribach Center include:

• Current college students (or graduates within the last year) who are enrolled at a Midwestern university
• A physical disability (mobility, orthopaedic, visual or hearing)
• A competitive grade point average
• An updated resume and cover letter
• Three letters of reference from faculty members, supervisors or a person who can speak about the candidate’s work ethic and attitude

The deadline to apply for the summer internship program is Jan. 31. For more information, please call 317.880.3312.

The Fehribach Center began developing a research component in 2020 with the goal of making meaningful contributions to the academic literature base about barriers to and best practices in shaping equitable employment for college students and graduates with physical disabilities. The center’s research has been featured in a special issue of the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, published by the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD).

The national Research Advisory Board of the Fehribach Center meets twice a year to discuss current research trends. Each year, the center awards three grants to members of this board to conduct studies on employment outcomes involving the Fehribach Center’s interns or alum or data from other college graduates with physical disabilities. Their findings are presented and shared with the Fehribach Center, presented at national conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

The Fehribach Center provides education and outreach to students with physical disabilities, K-12 educators, families, higher education professionals and employers. These outreach and educational initiatives address the barriers that students with physical disabilities experience in the education system and promote best practices that lead to students achieving equitable employment.

Virtual and in-person events are conducted, including Lunch & Learn workshops, presentations at state and national conferences, publications in practice journals, and a virtual Community of Practice (CoP) with Disability Services and Career Services professionals on campuses around the state. The Campus Connections CoP supports collaborations between these service providers to enhance their evidence-based delivery of effective career preparation for students with disabilities.