4 days ago
Ohio State's Nisonger Center seeks public help to stop elimination of federal funding
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center's center for people with disabilities would lose all federal funding under the proposed national budget.
OSU's Nisonger Center helps families and individuals with developmental disabilities. Now, the center is asking for help in return, calling on anyone who has used the center's services to submit testimonies about how the Nisonger Center has helped them in an attempt to keep its federal funding.
According to the Nisonger Center, the proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2026, which would begin on Oct. 1, would eliminate all federal funding for the center. Nisonger Center is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, or a UCEDD, which are facing dramatic cuts under the federal budget proposal.
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'We are closely monitoring federal budget proposals and the potential impact they may have on programs such as the Nisonger Center,' Wexner Medical Center spokesperson Marti Leitch said. 'We will be engaged with our representatives in Washington throughout the budget process.'
NBC4 requested an interview with Nisonger Center staff, but Leitch said the hospital was only able to offer a statement. According to the center's 2024 summary, one-third of all of its funding came from federal grants, or around $4.8 million last year alone.
Founded in 1966, Nisonger Center was among the first federally funded UCEDDs. It staffs around 120 faculty and staff and serves more than 38,000 people each year, according to its website. The center offers programs and assistance for all ages, from early childhood education programs to smart home technology training for adults.
'The Ohio State University Nisonger Center provides outstanding, nationally recognized programs, patient care and research for individuals with developmental disabilities,' Leitch said. 'The center's work is vital to the entire Ohio community and, most importantly, to the families they serve.'
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The center also found out this month that the National Science Foundation eliminated all funding for the Alliance of Students with Disabilities for Inclusion, Networking and Transition Opportunities in STEM. Nisonger Center workers posted on social media that the center had led the Northeast Hub of the alliance, uniting students with disabilities from Gallaudet University, Landmark College, Purdue University, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Connecticut and OSU.
Nisonger Center employees said Ohio State students in the alliance began an organization and a faculty training initiative, co-presenting at 14 conferences across three years. The alliance was funded by a federal grant which still had two years left when it was canceled.
Although the canceled alliance grant cannot be appealed, Nisonger Center is asking anyone who was worked with the center to submit their stories through a brief survey to help protect its funding. Anyone interested in submitting a testimony can do so online here.
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