Jennifer Schlegel’s life began earlier than expected with an unanticipated disease. According to an article in The Lantern, Jennifer was born prematurely and diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. She struggles with the effects of the disease (14 complex health issues) including loss of coordination, muscle control, and hand/eye coordination.
Her courage and creativity have helped her to defeat her disease in many ways.
Jennifer is now in her fifth year of biomedical engineering at Ohio State University. Among several awards and grants she received for her many projects, this extraordinary young college student started BeEnable to fund projects focusing on accessibility.
Each time Jennifer encountered another challenge of spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, she turned it into a challenge and a project. When she was younger and could not hold a pen, she temporarily solved the problem by taping a pen to her glove.
About BeEnabled
Jennifer started BeEnabled in April 2019. The name came to her from her conviction that the word ‘disabled’ should not mean ‘unable’. Instead, it should mean ‘needing help’ and being ‘enabled’. The startup now has three ongoing projects:
Handikapp is being designed to assist coders with limited dexterity. Jennifer designed the concept based on her own problems trying to use a keyboard or mouse. A team from Engineers for Community Service will be working on the Handikapp project. The startup already won an award and is scheduled for development over the next two school years.
Handicom is a software program designed to overcome physical barriers for the disabled. Handicom won the President’s Prize. which is an award given to seniors who are dedicated to social change. It is scheduled for development over the next two school years.
1-1-9 Power To the Patient is a unique concept created by Jennifer based on her many “false alarms”. Many times well-meaning bystanders did not realize that a temporary seizure just required a few minutes for recovery rather than being an emergency requiring hospitalization.
The service is subscription-based and can be used on a smartphone or smartwatch. The disabled person is able to communicate to the bystander whether or not the incident is minor or an emergency, and who should be called.
The 1-1-9 system has been created through the Alliance for the American Dream which is an organization dedicated to addressing poverty and inequality in the United States.
Jennifer Alsos Participates in:
- University Innovation Fellow: This is a global initiative that encourages students through creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship
- DriveOhio: This is part of the Ohio Department of Transportation where Jennifer is an intern
- The Innovation Studio: finding solutions in health care; Jennifer is one of its ambassadors
Jennifer’s Vision
Jennifer describes accessibility as an invisible thread connecting all of us but she says that it is sometimes overlooked.
That accessibility is all about having a better quality of life.
She explains that her projects are not hand-outs but they give people the tools they need. The rest is up to them.
What are your thoughts about the work Jennifer is doing? Share your stories, thoughts, and hopes with the Patient Worthy community!
