To Table of Contents
Rosemarie Rossetti during a speaking engagement
Rossetti holds a double major in agricultural education and horticulture for her Bachelor of Science degree . She then studied agricultural education for her master ’ s and doctorate degrees , finishing her final degree in 1982 .
Rosemarie Rossetti grew up in Columbus , Ohio and earned her B . S ., M . S ., and Ph . D . at The Ohio State University . Rossetti ’ s older brother , Richard , had a developmental disability . She frequently attended events with Richard and was introduced to many of his friends who also had intellectual and physical disabilities . Later , Rossetti acquired her disability , a spinal cord injury , in June 1998 . She states that it was “ my life with Richard that prepared me to
be an advocate for people with disabilities .”
Rossetti currently serves on the faculty part-time at The Ohio State University in the Department of Agricultural Education , since October 2018 . Previously , she served full time from September 1986 to January 1997 . It was then , in 1997 , that Rossetti started her business , Rossetti Enterprises Inc .
( www . RosemarieSpeaks . com ).
She speaks to and consults with companies to ensure that their spaces are accessible for their employees and the public . Utilizing Rossetti ’ s valuable lived experiences , over 250 companies and various organizations have hired her for speaking and consulting . Rossetti explains that she “ survived and thrived after [ her ] spinal cord injury on June 13th , 1998 ,” and her business transitioned towards motivational speaking .
Rossetti has many notable accomplishments including writing and publishing three books ( The Healthy Indoor Plant , Universal Design Toolkit , and Take Back Your Life !) and received many honors ( Ms . Wheelchair Ohio 2004 , Torchbearer in the 2002 Winter Olympics , and National “ Roll ” Model in a fashion show in New York City - 2007 ). However , the most meaningful accomplishment may be her home that she built with her husband , Mark Leder .
She emphasizes that “ My husband , Mark Leder , is a brilliant , loving , and supportive man . We were married on June 10 , 1995 . On June 13 , 1998 , he saved my life after I was crushed by a 7,000-pound tree while riding my bicycle . He is also my business partner ,