Updated 5/29/2025

Adu-Boateng, S., & Goodnough, K. (2021). Examining a science teacher’s instructional practices in the adoption of inclusive pedagogy: A qualitative case study. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 33(2), 303-325. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2021.1915605. 

This qualitative case study involves a high school science teacher with a special education background in an urban school in the English School District of Newfoundland and Labrador. Conceptualized within the theoretical framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), this study examined the teacher’s instructional practices and the tensions she experienced in the adoption of inclusive science pedagogy. This is a descriptive study that used different data collection methods, including interviews, observations, and documents. Data were analyzed inductively with MAXQDA software using constant comparative analysis. Findings showed that the teacher’s instructional practices in the implementation of inclusive pedagogy focused on creating multiple means to (a) engage diverse students, (b) represent the science curriculum, and (c) enable diverse students to express and communicate their understanding of science. However, several tensions were identified, which impeded the teacher’s effort in the implementation of inclusive science pedagogy. These tensions include inadequate instructional resource teachers, inflexible science curriculum, overreliance on standardized testing, and inadequate professional learning. The paper concludes with implications for science teachers and pre-service teachers’ education, with recommendations on future research direction.

Within the global business environment there is a critical need for a diverse pool of employees with higher education degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Unfortunately, in the United States, graduation statistics suggest marginalized groups are underrepresented in the awarding of STEM degrees. This chapter explains why diversity in STEM careers is reported to be a critical need for U.S. economic sustainability and competitiveness in the global business arena. It highlights the major challenges and barriers in STEM education related to instructional design that severely limit student engagement and derail degree attainment in STEM disciplines, especially for marginalized groups. The chapter also explains how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) acts a template for improved instructional design and introduce the LEVEL instructional model, which was created based on the principles of UDL and, when utilized in higher education coursework, promotes active learning and support for diverse learning styles.

In recent years, we have seen an increasing focus in the academic environment on equity, diversity and inclusion. However, one broad group often left out of these discussions are disabled scientists/scientists with disabilities, who often face severe challenges entering the research profession and navigating their careers. Building on the success of the 2022 Young Embryologist Network’s meeting, which included a session on ‘Working in science with a disability’ ( Morgan, 2023) we learn here from the lived experiences of five biologists who share the challenges and successes of undertaking a scientific career with a disability, as well as accommodations that can make science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) careers more accessible and inclusive.

This report is a reflection on the necessity for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the field of STEM and the different methods and processes that need to be revised or implemented to achieve this goal. It will delve into further detail about the challenges facing PWDs in STEM through interview anecdotes and survey results. Each solution offered will be accompanied by thorough research and support. Policymakers, teachers and students may use these recommendations to break down barriers to STEM careers and build a more inclusive future.

“…is there any nexus between being a person with a disability and being a scientist? My personal answer is yes, in at least two ways: First, my disability has given me the self-confidence to develop a problem-solver attitude, and second, it has taught me to look at the person, beyond labels” (p. 15451).

Statistical studies performed mainly in the U.S. have depicted that students with disabilities (SWDs) are excluded from the educational process and are prone to several gaps and barriers in terms of special accommodations, learning opportunities, and socio-emotional support in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)-Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics (STEAM) education. To clarify this, we conducted a systematic literature review focused on interventions and strategies in STEM and STEAM education for SWDs based on 263 studies retrieved from the databases SCOPUS, Web of Science (WoS), and ERIC from 2013–2024. The studies cover proposals from early childhood to tertiary education. After the screening and appraisal stages, 39 interventions with 21 strategies were identified. The outcomes mostly reveal the following: (1) The studies are mainly focused on the U.S. and in students with autism, learning disabilities, or behavioral disorders between low and medium severity levels. (2) Interventions for autistic students use robotics and coding to foster cognitive, social, and communicative skills. (3) Interventions for deaf or hard-of-hearing students focus on creating a science identity and the issues with non-standardized STEM concepts in American sign language (ASL); in contrast, visually impaired students focus on assistive technologies and the accessibility of educational materials. (4) Little attention has been paid to other disabilities apart from autism, intellectual or learning ones, as well as the perspective of educators to support SWDs in classrooms. And (5) New machine learning, metaverse, and AI models are being used to assess the cognitive-emotional states of the SWDs. The conclusions and insights derived from this study can help educators and researchers to create new methodologies or strategies that sustain SWDs in STEM-STEAM education.

Armstrong, M. A., & Averett, S. L. (2024). Women with disabilities in STEM. In Disparate measures: The intersectional economics of women in STEM work (pp. 183-212). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Being a person with a disability is a complex identity that is welded to concepts that are central to this book—opportunity, bias, and systemic disadvantage. The significance of the category is matched by its complexity: to ask what the term disability means is to invoke (intertwined) political, economic, legal, medical, and social factors whose richness and dimensionality far exceed what this case study can summarize. The literature on the history of disability in the US reveals not only entrenched ableism but also the extent to which the idea of disability has transformed over the last century (Albrecht, Seelman, and Bury 2003; Francis and Silvers 2016; Grue 2016; Stiker [1999] 2019). And like many social-identity categories, disability cuts both ways: it is a social project that is always under construction and is also increasingly understood as an identity group and a focal point for building communities, seeking rights and protections, and promoting positive social change.

Baird, A., & Kuryloski, L. (2024). Connecting Accessibility and Engineering/Computing in the Technical Communication Classroom. 2024 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (ProComm), Pittsburgh, PA Proceedings (pp. 139-144). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ProComm61427.2024.00033.

In the required Writing in the Disciplines course for undergraduate engineering and computer science students, the authors have developed a project about accessibility that requires students to identify a virtual or physical space (primarily on campus or in the local Buffalo community) and write reports that analyze the accessibility of the site and provide recommendations for improvement. By bridging concepts from Disability Studies and engineering design, the authors aim to help students understand how structural inequities are built into spaces, products, and the digital world. This project also offers students an opportunity to publish their work via the university’s institutional repository. A student survey given after the project’s conclusion demonstrated that students felt they knew more about accessibility and its role in engineering work; however, there was a lack of interest in publishing. This paper describes the project, discusses successes and challenges, outlines plans for moving forward, and offers recommendations for others interested in implementing a similar project.

Barney, A. (2024). Success in STEM – And how foundation years support students from neurodivergent groups to achieve it. In S. Leech & S. Hale (Eds.), Foundation years and why they matter (pp. 79-94). Leeds, UK: Emerald Publishing Limited. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83797-212-820241006.

“In this chapter, we explore the potential for foundation years to offer a route into HE for neurominorities. University students are increasingly enrolling with identified neurodivergence, including dyslexia, autism, and ADHD. However, the identification of neurodivergence in the earlier years of schooling, though increasingly common, is not universal. As a result, many students enrolling in HE, both young and mature, are assessed and identified as neurodivergent during their programme of study. This chapter considers the traits and educational and social support needs of students with dyslexia, autism, and ADHD for success in HE, and how these may be addressed through foundation year pedagogy, assessment strategies, and learning culture. [paragraph] This chapter begins with a brief overview of the three most common forms of neurodivergence encountered in HE: dyslexia, autism, and ADHD. It goes on to consider the prevalence of these three types of neurodivergence in UK HE and their interaction with learning at university. The potential for foundation year pedagogies to support the learning of people from neurominorities is then discussed, and finally, the Engineering Foundation Year at the University of Southampton, UK, is used as a case study of support for neurodivergent students starting out on degrees in STEM subjects” (pp. 79-80).

Batty, L., & Reilly, K. (2022). Understanding barriers to participation within undergraduate STEM laboratories: Towards development of an inclusive curriculum, Journal of Biological Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2021.2012227.

The increase in student diversity, legislative changes and shift towards the social model of disability has led to greater emphasis on inclusive curricula within Higher Education (HE). Whilst there are good examples for changes in assessment, delivery and student support, specific challenges faced by Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics students in relation to laboratory teaching are less well understood. A questionnaire approach was used to determine barriers that students face within laboratory teaching. Questionnaire invitations were distributed by email to undergraduate students at institutions within the United Kingdom with a total of 232 responses. Results indicated a lower sense of belonging for female students and those with a disability. Differences between ethnic groups could not be identified due to low numbers of Black Asian, Minority Ethnic students, which highlights broader issues of participation in STEM subjects. Prior experience of students in relation to the number of labs, rather than subject, was also important, emphasising the critical link between school and HE. Communication of information was critical for learning with students often requiring multiple methods; timing and structure of this were important. A more inclusive lab environment can be developed through the use of online support, better structuring of labs and changes to assessment.

Beardmore, D. C., Sandekian, R., & Bielefeldt , A. (2022, August). Supporting STEM graduate students with dis/abilities: Opportunities for Universal Design for Learning. 
Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN.

While little is known about the enrollment and retention rates of STEM graduate students, studies indicate that the way higher education generally approaches STEM graduate programs overlooks and excludes individuals with dis/abilities. This research examines the experiences of STEM graduate students with non-apparent (also called “invisible”) dis/abilities as related through the lens of critical dis/ability theory. In this paper, we review the findings from the first phase of a larger study through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). We used Harvey’s interview process to explore the experiences of two STEM graduate students who self-identify as having “invisible” dis/abilities or “different abilities” through a progressive series of interviews. In this paper, we review a selection of the participant’s experiences and provide recommendations on how UDL can be implemented to overcome the barriers graduate students may be facing in their coursework, research, and advising. We provide these recommendations in an effort to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all graduate students. Further, we hope that our research findings help individuals serving university students at any level in any discipline ask what opportunities they have to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment through the tenants of UDL.

Boda, P. A. (2024). Dreaming of disability-as-possibility as a humanistic STEM education futurity. Science Education, 108, 1590-1607. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21891.

I Dream with and through a positionality that lacks critical theorizing in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education research: Students labeled with disabilities; Disability beyond students’ accommodations. Understanding this marginalized population can push humanistic STEM scholarship to disrupt ableism by design, thereby honoring students’ voices, identities, and Dreams as knowledge-building sources. Engaging purposefully along such a proactive centering of these margins pushes STEM researchers to think beyond past challenges and break away from the free-market value commoditizations of education. I urge we Dream future possibilities of humanistic STEM education where researchers, teachers, and students are aligned to build new cultures of joy and feelings of relational belonging. In this way I seek to nurture the brilliance of students who are historically marginalized, including Disabled people, because of a desire to define their studenthood on their own terms. I argue that STEM education researchers working toward “what if” leveraging intersectionality as a way to critically theorize design can do more than change disciplinary practices: We can help students to Dream beyond “what is.”

Bonnette, R., Abramovich, S., Decker, A., & Fabiano, G. A. (2023). Building belonging for multiply marginalized neurodivergent students in STEM higher education. In P. Blikstein, J. Van Aalst, R. Kizito & K. Brennan (Eds.), Proceedings of the 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences – ICLS 2023 (pp. 870-873). International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Neurodivergent students often struggle with a sense of belonging, given barriers to self-advocacy, mental health, and social skills. This is even more challenging for multiply marginalized students, such women and people of color who are underrepresented in STEM programs. Exacerbating these problems is the dearth of effective professional development for helping STEM instructors better teach neurodivergent students. To prototype inclusive, effective training, we collected survey data from undergraduate STEM students about their experiences as neurodivergent students and what needs and recommendations they had for instructor practice. This short paper presents preliminary survey results and a theoretical curriculum approach for instructor professional development for neurodiversity in STEM.

Bonnette, R. N., Abramovich, S. Fabiano, G. A., Decker, A., Sullivan, V., & Alexandre, H. (2024, May). Alignment and Misalignment: Critical Differences in the Way That Instructors and Students Perceive Support for Neurodiversity in Undergraduate Computer Science Education. Paper presented at Neurodiversity at Work Research Conference, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

Successful graduation from post-secondary programs can be a major stumbling block for neurodivergent students’ transition to work. Most of the accommodations universities offer rely on neurodivergent students’ abilities to self-advocate. But understanding, synthesizing, and communicating one’s needs can be particularly challenging for neurodivergent students. This leaves instructors to make their best guesses at how to support their students, creating potential for misalignment between student and instructor perceptions surrounding neurodiversity. By understanding the alignment and misalignment between instructor and student understandings of neurodivergent student needs, the practices that can support them, and the barriers that hinder support, we can more effectively identify feasible pathways towards addressing neurodiversity in the classroom. This exploratory study investigated themes and compared student and instructor responses in an undergraduate Computer Science program. Preliminary findings suggest students may more easily identify the barriers they encounter than communicate the underlying need or a solution. The instructors—themselves neurodivergent adults—struggled less with vocalizing neurodivergent needs and identifying practices that could potentially support their learning, but likewise identified numerous barriers to enacting the practices they thought would help the most. We discuss preliminary findings on misalignment between the issues instructors and students identified and possible areas for professional development.

Booksh, K.S., Madsen, L.D. (2018). Academic pipeline for scientists with disabilities. MRS Bulletin, 43, 625–631. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2018.194.

People with disabilities are an underrepresented group in materials science and, more broadly, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, inclusion of persons with disabilities is often left out in the drive to increase diversity. Efforts to increase diversity in PhD-level leadership positions have not resulted in significant gains among people who identify as having a disability. This article presents the status of people with disabilities in the STEM pipeline, examines reasons why there has been little progress in increasing doctorate degree attainment for people with disabilities in STEM, and discusses possible ways to get people with disabilities to become more active in advanced STEM careers. While the data presented here come solely from the United States and lack granularity to pinpoint the status of persons with disabilities in materials science and engineering, the concepts addressed are transferable to both materials science and engineering, in particular, and to other countries in general.

Borrego, M., Chasen, A., Chapman Tripp, A., Landgren, E., &  Koolman, E. (2025). (2025). A scoping review on U.S. undergraduate students with disabilities in STEM courses and STEM majors. International Journal of STEM Education, 12, 2 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-024-00522-2.

Background The purpose of this scoping review is to describe how the literature has discussed and studied disability in undergraduate-level STEM courses in the United States. A Critical Disability Studies lens informed our inclusion criteria.

Results We considered extensive lists of disability types and diagnoses and concluded that “disability” as a search term best captured educational experiences rather than medical approaches. After screening nearly 9000 abstracts, we identified a final set of 409 dissertations, articles, conference papers, commentaries, briefs and news items. Sources appeared in discipline-based education research (DBER), STEM disciplinary and education journals as well as DBER conferences. Under 10% of sources included 2-year college settings. The largest groups of sources focused on disability writ large (39%, vs. specific categories) and across STEM (38%, vs. specific disciplines). Students were the main research participants (80%). Instructors were the main target of recommendations (84%). In terms of solutions, the largest group (n = 111) advocated for Universal Design, followed by accommodations (n = 94), and technology developed or tested with persons with disabilities (n = 90). Sources which the authors framed as empirical studies less frequently disclosed positionality as a person with a disability (16%) than non-empirical sources (21%). Quantitative (n = 125), qualitative (n = 99), and mixed methods (n = 64) approaches were well-represented. The most common data collection methods were surveys, assessments or task completions (n = 161 sources), followed by interviews (n = 109), observations (n = 44), document analyses (n = 18), and institutional student records (n = 14).

Conclusions More research is needed that centers the experiences of students with disabilities, focuses on specific disability types, employs critical quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and otherwise avoids implicit deficit views of disabled students. Citations to the qualifying sources are available in a public Zotero library.

Boyd, E. A., & Best Lazar, K. (2024). “I’m still here and I want them to know that”: experiences of chemists with concealable identities in undergraduate research. Chemistry Education Research and Practice Advance Article. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RP00094C.

Students with concealable identities, those which are not always visually apparent, must navigate the difficult choice of whether to reveal their concealed identities—a choice that has been found to impact an individual’s psychological well-being. Research that gives voice to those with concealable identities is highly lacking, and subsequently, work that describes the experiences of undergraduate chemists participating in engaged learning opportunities is even more limited. This study utilizes a phenomenographic approach through the theoretical lens of Undergraduate Research Science Capital (URSC), to analyze the experiences of six students as they navigate undergraduate research experiences and the effect of their visible and concealable identities. Though all six students described similar levels of URSC, their experiences, especially as they relate to their concealable identities, help to construct a multi-faceted perspective of undergraduate chemists who engage in undergraduate research. These results highlight the need for multiple approaches to equity efforts to ensure that high-impact practices such as undergraduate research are accessible to all students.

Bratanovskii, S., Bogdanova, Y., Orsayeva, R., Khimmataliev, D., & Rezanovich, I. (2020). Problems of accessibility of higher engineering education for students with special needs. Opción, 36, Special Edition No. 27, 2192-2219. Recuperado a partir de https://produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/opcion/article/view/32533. 

The article is devoted to studying the problems of accessibility of higher engineering education for people with disabilities and persons with disabilities (PWD), i.e. persons with special learning needs (SLN). Vocational education in modern conditions is becoming a social elevator, giving people with disabilities and disabilities an opportunity for socialization and employment. Studying foreign experience reveals the effectiveness of inclusive education. The article describes the current state of inclusive higher education, including engineering, in foreign countries (USA, Austria, Finland, etc.) and Russia. The successful practices of training people with higher education in foreign universities are presented. The characteristic of modern trends in the development of inclusive education in the Russian Federation is fulfilled. The criteria of affordable education in a world practice are highlighted in order to compare and evaluate its effectiveness in the Russian Federation. The advantages and disadvantages of the existing training system for disabled people and people with disabilities in Russian practice are noted. Weak demand for engineering specialties in universities of the Russian Federation was revealed. A study of the causes of this phenomenon.

Brewer, G., Dimitriadi, Y., Doddato, F., Haroon, H., Jolly, J., Leigh, J., Mahaut-Smith, M., Remnant, J., & Sarju, J. (2025). Towards a fully inclusive environment for disabled people in
STEMM: A NADSN White paper. National Association of Disabled Staff Networks.

This White Paper aims to:

• Raise awareness of the inequity and discrimination experienced by disabled people inSTEMM;
• Highlight the benefits of an inclusive STEMM environment that values disabled people andsupports their career development;
• Provide short, medium, and long-term recommendations to address systemic ableism in STEMM; and
• Promote understanding and transformative change to improve the experiences of disabledpeople in STEMM including the sharing of good practice.

Busch, C. A., Wiesenthal, N. J., Mohammed, T. F., Anderson, S., Barstow, M., Custalow, C., Gajewski, J., Garcia, K., Gilabert, C. K., Hughes, J., Jenkins, A., Johnson, M., Kasper, C., Perez, I., Robnett, B., Tillett, K., Tsefrekas, L., Goodwin, E. C., & Cooper, K. M. (2023). The disproportionate impact of fear of negative evaluation on first-generation college students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities in college science courses. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 22(3), ar31, 1–16.

Fear of negative evaluation (FNE), defined as a sense of dread associated with being negatively judged in a social situation, has been identified as the primary factor underlying undergraduate anxiety in active-learning science courses. However, no quantitative studies have examined the extent to which science undergraduates experience FNE and how they are impacted by FNE in college science courses. To address this gap, we surveyed 566 undergraduates from one university in the U.S. Southwest who were enrolled in life sciences courses where they had opportunities to speak in front of the whole class. Participants were asked a suite of questions regarding their experiences with FNE in large-enrollment college science courses. We found that first-generation college students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities reported disproportionately high levels of FNE compared with their counterparts. Additionally, students reported that FNE can cause them to overthink their responses and participate less in class. Participants rated being cold called and presenting alone as forms of whole-class participation that elicit the highest levels of FNE. This research highlights the impact of FNE on undergraduates and provides student-generated recommendations to reduce FNE in active- learning science courses.

Carabajal, I. G & Atchison, C. L. (2020). An investigation of accessible and inclusive instructional field practices in US geoscience departments. Advances in Geosciences, 53, 53-63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-53-53-2020.

This study examines current accessible field-based instructional strategies across geoscience departments in the United States that support students with visual, hearing, and mobility disabilities. A qualitative questionnaire was administered to geoscience instructors from over 160 US geology departments. Outcomes from the data analysis were used to categorize accessible instructional practices into three distinct pedagogical methods: modifications, accommodations, and options for accessible instructional design. Utilizing the lens of critical disability theory, we then investigated how the identified teaching practices varied in inclusion, as some strategies can often be more exclusionary towards individual students with disabilities. Although from a US perspective, the outcomes of this study offer practical suggestions for providing accessible and inclusive field experiences that may inform a global geoscience instructional context.

Carrera Zamanillo, I. (2022). Breaking barriers for those with hidden disabilities. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 3, 809–810. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00374-w.

Chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and other hidden disabilities can be debilitating, especially in combination with stigmatization and lack of proper accommodations. Breaking barriers in academic systems for those with hidden disabilities demands that personal, institutional and organizational ableist biases are overcome, writes Isabel Carrera Zamanillo.

Castro, I. O., & Atchison, C. L. (2024, March 14). Acknowledging the intersectionality of geoscientists with disabilities to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. In A. Al Suwaidi, S. Hope, N. Dowey, & K. Goodenough (Eds.), Inclusion and Diversity in Earth and Environmental Sciences [Special Issue]. Earth Science, Systems and Society, 4, Article 100811. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/esss.2024.10081.

The geosciences have implemented a variety of efforts designed to strengthen diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) of underrepresented groups. While these efforts have had substantial financial investment, recruitment and retention for underrepresented individuals has yet to reflect this. To improve the resources available for underrepresented scholars, the geoscience community must expand its exploration of identity beyond a singular construct, and instead focus on how identities intersect. In this exploratory study, the framework of intersectionality will be highlighted to better understand the convergence of disability with other underrepresented identities in the geoscience disciplines. Major themes of social inclusion and belonging, power, safety, and opportunity are presented through the lived experiences of geoscientists, along with recommendations on expanding broadening participation efforts for underrepresented individuals in the geosciences.

Cech, E. A. (2022, June 15). The intersectional privilege of white able-bodied heterosexual men in STEM. Science Advances, 8(24), eabo1558. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo1558.

A foundational assumption of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) inequality research is that members of the most well represented demographic group—white able-bodied heterosexual men (WAHM)—are uniquely privileged in STEM. But is this really the case? Using survey data of U.S. STEM professionals (N = 25,324), this study examines whether WAHM experience better treatment and rewards in STEM compared with members of all 31 other intersectional gender, race, sexual identity, and disability status categories. Indicating systematic advantages accompanying WAHM status, WAHM experience more social inclusion, professional respect, and career opportunities, and have higher salaries and persistence intentions than STEM professionals in 31 other intersectional groups. Decomposition analyses illustrate that these advantages operate in part as premiums—benefits attached to WAHM status that cannot be attributed to variation in human capital, work effort, and other factors. These findings motivate research and policy efforts to move beyond a single axis paradigm to better understand and address intersectional (dis)advantages in STEM.

Cech, E. A. (2023, April). Engineering ableism: The exclusion and devaluation of engineering students and professionals with physical disabilities and chronic and mental illness. Journal of Engineering Education, 112(2), 462-487. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20522.

Background: The experiences of students and professionals with disabilities are routinely excluded from scholarly and policy debates about equity in engineering. Emergent research suggests that engineering is particularly ableist, yet systematic accounts of the possible exclusion and devaluation faced by engineers with disabilities are largely missing.

Purpose/Hypothesis: This paper asks, do engineers with disabilities have more negative interpersonal experiences in engineering classrooms and workplaces than those without disabilities? Utilizing a social relational model of disability, I hypothesize that engineers with physical disabilities and chronic and mental illness are more likely to experience exclusion and professional devaluation than their peers and, partly as a result, have lower persistence intentions.

Data/Methods: The paper uses survey data from 1729 students enrolled in eight US engineering programs (American Society for Engineering Education Diversity and Inclusion Survey) and 8321 US-employed engineers (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Inclusion Study Survey). Analyses use regression, mediation, and intersectional approaches.

Results: Consistent with expectations, engineering students and professionals with disabilities are less likely than their peers to experience social inclusion and professional respect at school and work. Students with disabilities are more likely to intend to leave their engineering programs and professionals with disabilities are more likely to have thought about leaving their engineering jobs compared to peers, and their greater risks of encountering interpersonal bias help account for these differences. Analyses also reveal intersectional variation by gender and race/ethnicity.

Conclusion: These results suggest that engineering harbors widespread ableism across education and work. The findings demand more scholarly attention to the social, cultural, and physical barriers that block people with disabilities from full and equal participation in engineering.

Chasen, A., Borrego, M., Koolman, E., Landgren, E., & Chapman Tripp, H. (2025). A systematic review of differences for disabled students in STEM versus other disciplinary undergraduate settings. Journal of Engineering Education, 114(1), e20627. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20627.

Background Engineering education and other discipline-based education researchers may motivate their work with claims that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) norms and culture are unique, thus requiring focused study. As research on disabled students gains momentum in engineering education, it is important to understand differences that limit generalizability of prior work in other disciplines to STEM.

Purpose What do studies document as differences between STEM and non-STEM settings that impact disabled undergraduates, and to what extent are these studies using asset-based perspectives of disability? Scope/Method This systematic review identified US studies that compared STEM to non-STEM disciplines in regards to disabled undergraduate students. The qualifying studies, published during 1979–2023, comprise 22 journal articles and 15 doctoral or master’s theses. Most studies used quantitative methods (n = 28).

Results Of the 37 qualifying studies, 20 instructor studies provided moderate evidence that STEM instructors are less willing or less knowledgeable about how to support disabled students through accommodations or course design. We highlight a small number of student studies identifying assets of disabled students, although most took a deficit view by comparing disabled student experiences to an able-bodied norm. Few studies emphasized the structural characteristics of STEM such as culture and educational practices that contribute to socially constructing disability by acting as barriers that disable students.

Conclusions More work is needed to examine instructor actions beyond their intentions and attitudes toward disabled students. Critical and asset-based perspectives are needed in future study designs that center disability to uncover systemic barriers and identify assets disabled students bring to STEM.

Chasen, A.,  Chapman Tripp, H., &  Borrego, M. (2024). Disability and postsecondary fieldwork experiences in the natural sciences: A systematic review. Journal of Research in Science Teaching Early View, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21989.

We present a systematic review of 29 empirical studies on disability and fieldwork in natural science, postsecondary educational settings. Undergraduate students with disabilities are underrepresented in STEM, and disciplines requiring major field components are some of the least diverse, at least in part because fieldwork has been traditionally viewed as hard, physical, and masculine. Disability Studies in Education (DSE) frames the research questions, inclusion criteria and results. Studies were coded by disability model used, barriers and strategies to accessibility in field science, and meaningful involvement of persons with disabilities in research on fieldwork education. Although most studies asserted a view of disability as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon, some deficit language and interpretations persisted. Few studies included author positionality, and even fewer disclosed author disability status. The main instructional recommendations emphasize flexibility and adaptability, presuming student competence and making small-scale changes consistently over time. Multiple studies emphasize the need for proactive planning, including robust contingency plans, and explaining how these plans can negate the need for complex modification. Twenty-four additional non-empirical studies are identified as resources for discipline-specific guides and checklists for inclusive fieldwork. We conclude that important steps are being taken to investigate and critique barriers to fieldwork participation for students with disabilities, but there is still much work to be done in addressing systemic barriers beyond the control of individual instructors.

Chasen, A., & Pfeifer, M. A. (2024). Empowering disabled voices: A practical guide for methodological shifts in biology education research. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.24-02-0076.

Biology education research provides important guidance for educators aiming to ensure access for disabled students. However, there is still work to be done in developing similar guidelines for research settings. By using critical frameworks that amplify the voices of people facing multiple forms of marginalization, there is potential to transform current biology education research practices. Many biology education researchers are still in the early stages of understanding critical disability frameworks, such as Disability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit), which consists of seven tenets designed to explore the intersecting experiences of ableism and racism. Our Research Methods Essay uses DisCrit as a model framework and pulls from other related critical disability frameworks to empower disabled voices in biology education research. Drawing from existing scholarship, we discuss how biology education researchers can design, conduct, and share research findings. Additionally, we highlight strategies that biology education scholars can use in their research to support access for participants. We propose the creation and sharing of Access and Equity Maps to help plan—and make public—the steps researchers take to foster access in their research. We close by discussing frequently asked questions researchers may encounter in taking on critical frameworks, such as DisCrit.

Chini, J. J. & Scanlon, E. M. (2023). Teaching physics with disabled learners: A review of the literature. In M. F. Taşar and P. R. L. Heron (Eds.), The International Handbook of Physics Education Research: Special Topics (pp. 1-1 – 1-34). Melville, NY: AIP Publishing. DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1063/9780735425514_001.

Disability is an often-overlooked aspect of diversity. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 15% of the world’s population identifies as disabled, yet there is a dearth of knowledge and literature about supporting disabled learners in postsecondary physics courses. The goal of this chapter is to synthesize and critique the extant literature about how instructors can teach physics courses in ways to support disabled leaners. Through a systematic literature review, 66 sources were identified which discuss physics, teaching, and disability. In the extant literature, 51 sources are written for practitioners and 15 sources contain novel research. Overall, the literature includes suggestions and solutions to respond to access needs and begins to explore experiences of disabled students and the role of instructors and higher education administrators in supporting the variety of students’ needs, abilities, and interests. Findings and implications are disaggregated by suggestions for practice and for education researchers.

Chrin, S. R., & Nardo, J. E. (2025). (Dis)ability and accommodation: Exploring the accessibility of general and organic chemistry course designs. Journal of Chemical Education: ASAP. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01580.

Research has shown that disability is often subsumed under the broader framework of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with much of the existing literature focusing on students with physical or learning disabilities. Less attention has been given to understanding how chemistry course design and university disability services support disabled students and those requiring accommodations in STEM-based courses. This exploratory, qualitative study examined the experiences of disabled students in chemistry by addressing two research questions: (1) How do disabled students navigate the concept of normalcy in chemistry courses? (2) How do disabled students encounter and respond to historical and legal barriers within chemistry course structures and disability services? Guided by Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), this study drew from a greater ethnographic project at a large public Midwestern university. We conducted interviews with disabled students (N = 7) and analyzed course syllabi for General Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I (N = 2) as well as the university Web site for disability services. The thematic analysis of the collective case study revealed that disabled students in General Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I encountered considerable barriers within their chemistry courses. These challenges can be categorized into three overarching themes: (1) Shaping chemistry courses via able-bodied normalcy, (2) Implementing accommodations in chemistry laboratories, and (3) Accessing disability services and accommodations. Our findings highlight the need for systemic reform in chemistry courses can create more inclusive and equitable learning environments.

Chrysochoou, M., & Zaghi, A. E., & Syharat, C. M., & Motaref, S., & Jang, S., & Bagtzoglou, A., & Wakeman, C. A. (2021, July), Redesigning Engineering Education for Neurodiversity: New Standards for Inclusive Courses Paper presented at 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2–37647.

Meaningful inclusion of neurodivergent students in engineering requires us to move beyond a focus on accommodations and accessibility and embrace a strength-based approach toward neurodiversity. A large body of literature suggests that neurodivergent individuals, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) possess a wide range of unique strengths that may be assets in engineering. These strengths include divergent thinking, risk-taking, 3-dimensional visualization skills, pattern identification, and systems thinking. Despite the potential of nontraditional thinkers to contribute to engineering breakthroughs, recruitment and retention rates of neurodivergent students in engineering programs remain extremely low. The emphasis on conventional pedagogical methods in engineering programs, coupled with a deficit-based approach that is focused on the remediation of weaknesses, does little to foster the unique strengths of neurodivergent students. In addition to the obstacles posed by the traditional educational environment, the stigma related to a disability label leads many neurodivergent college students to neither disclose their diagnosis nor obtain academic accommodations that may help them to persist in a challenging learning environment. To address these challenges and realize the potential contributions of neurodivergent individuals to engineering fields, a research project funded by the Engineering Education and Centers of the National Science Foundation has been established to transform engineering education and create an inclusive learning environment that empowers diverse learners. The project encompasses a wide variety of interventions in all aspects of academic life, from recruitment to career development. As part of this program, three courses, Statics, Mechanics of Materials, and Fluid Mechanics, have been revised to address the unique strengths and challenges of neurodiverse students and improve the educational experience for all students. These pilot courses are fundamental engineering courses that are taken by a large number of students in a range of engineering majors including civil and environmental, mechanical, biomedical, and materials science and engineering. This paper presents an overview of a new framework for inclusive course design standards that were developed by engineering faculty along with experts in curriculum and instruction. Current universal design standards emphasize aligning course objectives, learning experiences and assessments, explaining course information clearly, and using varied and accessible instructional materials. These universal design standards are adequate to provide courses that are accessible to all learners. However, to provide inclusive courses for neurodivergent students, additional standards are necessary to ensure that students can identify and use their unique strengths in an engineering context. The new framework expands upon universal design principles and provides standards that are anchored in a strength-based approach and centered around three core elements: a culture of inclusion, teaching and learning, and instructional design. The standards’ application across the three courses has common elements (e.g., ability to choose standard versus creativity-based assessments) and differences to reflect instructor style and course content (e.g., incorporation of design aspects in more advanced courses). It is anticipated that the use of these standards will improve learning outcomes and enhance the educational experience for neurodivergent students.

Chun, J., Kim, J., Lee, M., & Richard, C. (2024). Navigating the Career Development of Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin OnLine First. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00343552231224778.

In pursuit of the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers, it is essential to facilitate their successful academic and career development, while simultaneously implementing STEM pathways that mitigate barriers and improve retention. This study endeavors to explore the impact of career development activities, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals on the quality of life (QoL) of college students with disabilities in STEM. Participants were 182 college students with disabilities attending 2-year and 4-year private/public universities in a Midwestern state. The findings of this research offer empirical evidence for a structural model that predicts the QoL of college students with disabilities in STEM. These results underscore the importance of strengthening support systems, nurturing partnerships, and enhancing access for students with disabilities engaged in STEM learning and career exploration. By shedding light on these dynamics, this research contributes to the creation of a more inclusive and supportive environment for individuals with disabilities who aspire to excel in STEM fields.

Chun, J., Zhou, K., Rumrill, S., & Tittelbach, T. (2023, March). STEM career pathways for transition-age youth with disabilities. Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education, 37(1), 36-48. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/RE-22-15.

Background: Although there is an increasing demand for workers in STEM fields, people with disabilities are underrepresented in STEM educational programs and related occupations. Among those who achieved competitive integrated employment after serving under an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) by the state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) system, only 5.3% of individuals with disabilities were engaged in STEM jobs/careers during the years 2017–2019. Of those with an employment outcome in STEM fields, 8,348 (40.9%) were transition-age youth aged 14–24.

Objective: Using Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA-911) data for the fiscal years from 2017 to 2019, the current study investigated the characteristics of transition-age youth with disabilities aged 14–24 in the state-federal VR system that predicted employment outcomes in STEM fields.

Methods: A logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between individual characteristics and STEM career attainment.

Findings: Results illustrated that gender, race, living arrangement, and the receipt of general assistance/SSI/SSDI/TANF predicted employment outcomes in STEM fields.

Conclusions: The research findings provide support for the understanding of demographic characteristics of transition-age youth with disabilities successfully closed in STEM jobs/careers after serving under an IPE. A discussion of the strategies and interventions associated with promoting career development and decisions toward the STEM field for transition-age youth with disabilities is provided.

Crabtree, A., Caudel, D., Pinette, J., Vang, C., Neikirk, K., Kabugi, K., Zaganjor, E., & Hinton, Jr., A. (2025). Recruiting and retaining autistic talent in STEMM. iScience, 27(3), 109080. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109080.

Autistic adults (AA) have the highest unemployment rate relative to other groups, regardless of disability status. Systemic changes are needed to acquire and retain AA in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Here, we discuss the unique challenges AA face in STEMM and possible solutions to overcome them.

D’Agostino, A. T. (2021). Accessible teaching and learning in the undergraduate chemistry course and laboratory for blind and low-vision students. In Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect in Chemistry Education Research and Practice [Special Issue]. Journal of Chemical Education ASAP. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00285. 

Symbolic, spatial, and visual information, which is important for comprehending and learning physical and natural sciences, is not readily accessible to blind and low-vision (BLV) students in the undergraduate chemistry classroom, laboratory, and virtual environment via conventional means (through print and images), thus, creating a disadvantageous and inequitable situation. Appropriate instruction methods can be used to include these differently abled students in the learning process while also enhancing the learning outcomes of a diverse student population. By considering the teaching approach and universal design practices, and utilizing adapted methods, collaborative learning, and nonvisual assistive technologies and equipment, chemistry classroom/laboratory work for BLV students can be transformed from a passive experience to an active one. By creating the least restrictive learning environment, BLV students are enabled to become independent workers. Nonvisual ways (i.e., auditory, and text-to-speech applications, speech-enabled equipment, tactile graphics, and physical artifacts) by which BLV students can conduct their work are described, and practical ways for faculty to enhance teaching are presented.

Da Silva, S., & Hubbard, K. (2024). Confronting the legacy of eugenics and ableism: Towards anti-ableist bioscience education. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.23-10-0195.

Society and education are inherently ableist. Disabled people are routinely excluded from education, or have poorer outcomes within educational systems. Improving educational experiences and outcomes for people of color has required educators to design antiracist curricula that explicitly address racial inequality. Here, we explore parallel antiableist approaches to bioscience education in an essay coauthored by a disabled bioscience student and able-bodied faculty member in bioscience. Our work is underpinned by Critical Disability Theory and draws on disability and pedagogical scholarship as well as our own experiences. The biosciences has a unique need to confront its history in the discredited pseudoscience of eugenics, which has led to discrimination and human rights abuses against disabled people. We provide a brief history of the relationship between biological sciences research and eugenics and explore how this legacy impacts bioscience education today. We then present a recommended structure for antiableist biology education. Our approach goes beyond providing disability access, to a model that educates all students about disability issues and empowers them to challenge ableist narratives and practices.

da Silva Júnior, C., Girotto Júnior, G., Morais, C. & Jesus, D. (2024). Green chemistry for all: Three principles of Inclusive Green and Sustainable Chemistry Education. Pure and Applied Chemistry, 96(9), 1299-1311. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2024-0245.

The three principles of Inclusive Green and Sustainable Chemistry Education (IGSCE) are presented to guide the reflection, design, and implementation of potentially inclusive materials and approaches. These principles refer to (i) embracing student-centered learning, (ii) promoting teaching in the five levels of representation in chemistry, and (iii) adapting the curriculum to empower students to apply their academic skills effectively to real-life situations through supportive teaching and social guidance. Educational elements conducive to potentially inclusive classrooms and their interconnections are identified and discussed. These include using the Triangular Bipyramid Metaphor (TBM) to facilitate academic inclusivity for individuals with and without disabilities, such as those who are deaf and blind. Further, the importance of ensuring that all students, regardless of their abilities, can fully participate in the educational experience is highlighted, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG #4) to achieve inclusive education and lifelong learning opportunities. Green chemistry should be available to everyone, not just a few. It promotes sustainable development and deserves global recognition and support. The change agents targeted by these three principles of IGSCE include, but are not limited to, educators, researchers, teachers, and students in secondary and university education.

Diele-Viegas, L. M., de Almeida, T. S., Amati-Martins, I. et al. (2022). Community voices: Sowing, germinating, flourishing as strategies to support inclusion in STEM. Nature Communications 13, 3219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30981-6.

Understanding gaps in academic representation while considering the intersectionality concept is paramount to promoting real progress towards a more inclusive STEM. Here we discuss ways in which STEM careers can be sown and germinated so that inclusivity can flourish.

Duong-Tran, D., & Wei, S., & Shen, L. (2024, June), Theorizing neuro-induced relationships between cognitive diversity, motivation, grit and academic performance in multidisciplinary engineering education context. Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2–48152.

Nowadays, engineers need to tackle many unprecedented challenges that are often complex, and, most importantly, cannot be exhaustively compartmentalized into a single engineering discipline. In other words, most engineering problems need to be solved from a multidisciplinary approach. However, conventional engineering programs usually adopt pedagogical approaches specifically tailored to traditional, niched engineering disciplines, which become increasingly deviated from the industry needs as those programs are typically designed and taught by instructors with highly specialized engineering training and credentials. To reduce the gap, more multidisciplinary engineering programs emerge by systematically stretching across all engineering fibers, and challenge the sub-optimal traditional pedagogy crowded in engineering classrooms. To further advance future-oriented pedagogy, in this work, we hypothesized neuro-induced linkages between how cognitively different learners are and how the linkages would affect learners in the knowledge acquisition process. We situate the neuro-induced linkages in the context of multidisciplinary engineering education and propose possible pedagogical approaches to actualize the implications of this conceptual framework. Our study, based on the innovative concept of brain fingerprint, would serve as a pioneer model to theorize key components of learner-centered multidisciplinary engineering pedagogy which centers on the key question: how do we motivate engineering students of different backgrounds from a neuro-inspired perspective?

Ellis-Robinson, T. (2021). Identity development and intersections of disability, race, and STEM: Illuminating perspectives on equity. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 16, 1149–1162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-020-10011-x.

In this commentary, I discuss the impetus for the study to examine the effect on connectedness to STEM and equitable outcomes in STEM participation for students who are deaf/hard of hearing, and representative of other marginalized identities. Maggie Renken et al.’s theoretical perspective on identity development, intersectionality, and STEM, provide context for understanding barriers and considering practices for supporting development of a STEM identity and pursuit of STEM-related careers. Attention to identity formation and social components of identity formation are key to the study’s significance. I expound upon an extension of the focus on students’ identity development to include an underlying attention to equity and the redressing of systemic oppressions that have prevented access to STEM in the past. I will suggest deepening of the analysis to go beyond an understanding of the utility of identity formation to unearth systemic barriers that are residually evident in the socially influenced development process and in the professional world of STEM.

Fagerstrom, J. M., Eliason, G., Al-Hallaq, H., Taylor, B. A., Ashraf, M. R., & Viscariello, N. (2024). Improving access in medical physics residency programs for physicists with disabilities. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics, 25(10), e14518. https://doi.org/10.1002/acm2.14518.

Within the landscape of medical physics education, residency programs are instrumental in imparting hands-on training and experiential knowledge to early-career physicists. Ensuring access to educational opportunities for physicists with disabilities is a legal, ethical, and pragmatic requirement for programs, considering that a significant proportion of the United States population has a disability. Grounded in conceptual frameworks of competency-based medical education and the social model of disability, this work provides an introduction to some practical recommendations for medical physics residency programs. Strategies include embracing universal design principles, fostering partnerships with disability service offices, using inclusive language, developing and publicizing clear procedures for disclosing disabilities and requesting accommodations, and maintaining an overall commitment to equitable access to education. This work urges medical physics residency leadership to proactively move towards training environments that support the needs of residents across the spectrum of disability, highlighting why disability inclusion fundamentally enriches diversity.

Fiss, B. G., D’Alton, L., & Noah, N. M. (2023, November 27). Chemistry is inaccessible: How to reduce barriers for disabled scientists. Nature, 623, 913-915. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03634-x.

From classrooms to laboratories and conferences, working in chemistry presents huge challenges to disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent people. Some simple fixes can help to shift the dial.

Fletcher, N., & Waid, B. (2024, July). Building Communities of Care for Equity, Justice, and Culturally Responsive Practice in Mathematics Education. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 14(2), 369-422. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5642/jhummath.ZVWH1822.

Teaching is widely considered one of the “caring professions,” but conceptualizations of care and how care is put into practice in education are not universal. In this article, we draw from a range of perspectives on care that integrate supportive interpersonal relationships, high expectations, and culturally relevant theories of critical care, as well as Queer Theory and Disability Justice, to explore the application of these ideas in mathematics education. We identify key elements for building communities of care in mathematics education contexts: co-constructing community agreements, redefining participation, shifting traditional power structures, collaborative problem solving, and building networks of care beyond the classroom. We share our experiences implementing these elements of communities of care and propose that the integration of these elements can serve as the starting point for a framework for building communities of care for equity, justice, and culturally responsive practice in mathematics education.

Friedensen, R., Lauterbach, A., Kimball, E., & Mwangi, C. G. (2021, Spring). Students with high-incidence disabilities in STEM: Barriers encountered in postsecondary learning environments. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 34(1), 77-90.

Students with non-apparent, high-incidence disabilities encounter barriers in postsecondary STEM learning environments. These barriers negatively influence their success therein. Using Fishkin’s (2014) theory of bottlenecks within opportunity structures, data from 16 qualitative interviews show how barriers encountered serve to constrain the success of students with disabilities. These barriers exist during the transition to postsecondary STEM learning environments, and arise from peer and faculty behavior, organizational structures, and the alignment of STEM and disability identity. Major implications relate to the redesign of STEM learning environments and the use of bottlenecks as analytic lens for studying the experiences of students with disabilities.

Friedensen, R., Lauterbach, A., Mwangi, C. G., & Kimball, E. (2022). Examining the Role of Family in the Development of Pre-college STEM Aspirations among Students with Disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Student Success, 1(3), 13–31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss128231.

In this qualitative cross-case study, we examine the role of familial habitus in providing early access to navigational capital and opportunities predictive of STEM success. Interviews with 18 students with non-apparent disabilities at a large, four-year research university in New England showed that parents and family played a key role in multiple dimensions of student experiences with disability. We organized the findings around three themes about family: (a) family’s framing of disability and academic ability; (b) family support of STEM interests; and (c) family as STEM role models. We extend these findings to highlight the importance of family more broadly, supporting research that indicates the critical role that parental involvement plays in the development of STEM aspirations and success.

Gavrilova, Y., Bogdanova, Y., Orsayeva, R., Khimmataliev, D. & Rezanovich, I. (2021). Peculiarities of training engineering students with disabilities. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 11(4), 148-164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3991/IJEP.V11I4.21361. 

In this day and age, there are increasing discussions and calls for shifting towards inclusive education. In view of this, the present study intended to identify the most severe challenges disabled engineering students face according to their own view and find possible ways to solve them. For this particular aim, a survey of 555 students from five universities of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan was performed. These were the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Northern Trans-Ural State Agricultural University, Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan State University, Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers, and South Ural State University. The survey was carried out in two stages. The first focused on identifying the main problems of disabled students (physical environment, staff skills and knowledge, theory-practice relationship, assessment peculiarities, and bias). The second intended to define the most critical of them (unadapted physical environment and reduced abilities to apply theoretical knowledge in practice). To resolve these issues, the authors propose the following recommendations to be adopted. These include adapted laboratories and equipment; programs that allow performing practical tasks; engineering tutors able to assist in performing practical tasks; an adapted assessment system with reference to health condition; psychological support to integrate disabled students into an inclusive team and eliminate prejudices. The obtained research findings can be used by other universities to promote a comprehensive integration of students with special needs into the educational process.

Gin, L. E., Guerrero, F. A., Brownell, S. E., & Cooper, K. M. (2021). COVID-19 and undergraduates with disabilities: Challenges resulting from the rapid transition to online course delivery for students with disabilities in undergraduate STEM at large-enrollment institutions. CBE Life Sciences Education, 20(3), ar36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-02-0028.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused nearly all colleges and universities to transition in-person courses to an online format. In this study, we explored how the rapid transition to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic affected students with disabilities. We interviewed 66 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) undergraduates with disabilities at seven large-enrollment institutions during Spring 2020. We probed to what extent students were able to access their existing accommodations, to what extent the online environment required novel accommodations, and what factors prevented students from being properly accommodated in STEM courses. Using inductive coding, we identified that students were unable to access previously established accommodations, such as reduced-distraction testing and note-takers. We also found that the online learning environment presented novel challenges for students with disabilities that may have been lessened with the implementation of accommodations. Finally, we found that instructors making decisions about what accommodations were appropriate for students and disability resource centers neglecting to contact students after the transition to online instruction prevented students from receiving the accommodations that they required in STEM courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study illuminates current gaps in the support of students with disabilities and pinpoints ways to make online STEM learning environments more inclusive for students with disabilities.

Gin, L. E., Guerrero, F. A., Cooper, K. M., & Brownell, S. E. (2020). Is active learning accessible? Exploring the process of providing accommodations to students with disabilities. In C Brame (Ed.), Special Section on Cross-Disciplinary Research in Biology Education. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 19(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-03-0049.

On average, active learning improves student achievement in college science courses, yet may present challenges for students with disabilities. In this essay, we review the history of accommodating students with disabilities in higher education, highlight how active learning may not always be inclusive of college science students with disabilities, and articulate three questions that could guide research as the science community strives to create more inclusive environments for undergraduates with disabilities: 1) To what extent do stakeholders (disability resource center [DRC] directors, instructors, and students) perceive that students with disabilities encounter challenges in active learning? 2) What accommodations, if any, do stakeholders perceive are being provided for students with disabilities in active learning? and 3) What steps can stakeholders take to enhance the experiences of students with disabilities in active learning? To provide an example of how data can be collected to begin to answer these questions, we interviewed 37 DRC directors and reported what challenges they perceive that students with disabilities experience in active learning and the extent to which accommodations are used to alleviate challenges. We conclude the essay with a suite of recommendations to create more inclusive active-learning college science classes for students with disabilities.

Gin, L. E., Pais, D., Cooper, K. M., & Brownell, S. E. (2022). Students with disabilities in life science undergraduate research experiences: Challenges and opportunities. CBE Life Science Education, 21, ar32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-07-0196.

Individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in postsecondary science education and in science careers, yet few studies have explored why this may be. A primary predictor of student persistence in science is participating in undergraduate research. However, it is unclear to what extent students with disabilities are participating in research and what the experiences of these students in research are. To address this gap in the literature, in study 1, we conducted a national survey of more than 1200 undergraduate researchers to determine the percent of students with disabilities participating in undergraduate research in the life sciences. We found that 12% of undergraduate researchers we surveyed self-identified as having a disability, which indicates that students with disabilities are likely underrepresented in undergraduate research. In study 2, we conducted semistructured interviews with 20 undergraduate researchers with disabilities. We identified unique challenges experienced by students with disabilities in undergraduate research, as well as some possible solutions to these challenges. Further, we found that students with disabilities perceived that they provide unique contributions to the research community. This work provides a foundation for creating undergraduate research experiences that are more accessible and inclusive for students with disabilities.

Girolamo, T., Castro, N., Eisel Hendricks, A., Ghali, S., & Eigsti, I. (2022, Nov. 21). Implementation of Open Science Practices in Communication Sciences and Disorders Research with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing e-Pub Ahead of Issue. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_JSLHR-22-00272.

Purpose: Open science that is truly accessible and transparent to all will enhance reproducibility. However, there are ethical and practical concerns in implementing open science practices, especially when working with populations who are systematically excluded from and marginalized in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) research, such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) from clinical populations. The purpose of this article was to discuss these concerns and present actionable steps to support open science in CSD research with BIPOC.

Conclusions: In the movement toward open and reproducible science, the discipline of CSD must prioritize accessibility and transparency, in addition to the implementation of individual scientific practices. Such a focus requires building trust with BIPOC not only as research participants but also as valued leaders of the scientific community.

Gordián-Vélez, W. J. (2022). Policy Position Paper: Ensuring the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in STEM Education and Careers. Journal of Science Policy & Governance, 20(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG200203.

Achieving full inclusion for people with disabilities in STEM is a matter of national security, economic prosperity, and equity. People with disabilities in STEM are underrepresented in postsecondary degrees and employment and they have higher unemployment rates and earn less. Inaction at the federal level has contributed to perpetuating these disparities. The federal government, especially through a signed law, could provide the funding and mandate to establish the institutional support, resources, and incentives needed so people with disabilities have equitable access to STEM and they can contribute to the scientific and technological innovation the U.S. needs to confront its great challenges. Congress has lately been working to bolster the country’s scientific and technological enterprise and to increase the diversity of our STEM workforce, through HR4521, the America COMPETES Act, and S1260, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act. Some of these proposals are promising but fail to include provisions specific to people with disabilities. As Congress considers a HR4521/S1260 compromise bill, it has the opportunity to include programs that ensure the inclusion and promote the success of people with disabilities in STEM.

Hales, K. G. (2020). Signaling inclusivity in undergraduate biology courses through deliberate framing of genetics topics relevant to gender identity, disability, and race. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 19(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-08-0156.

The study of genetics centers on how encoded information in DNA underlies similarities and differences between individuals and how traits are inherited. Genetics topics covered in a wide variety of undergraduate biology classrooms can relate to various identities held by students such as gender identity, disability, and race/ethnicity, among others. An instructor’s sensitive approaches and deliberate language choices regarding these topics has the potential to make the critical difference between welcoming or alienating students and can set a tone that communicates to all students the importance of diversity. Separating the sperm/egg binary from gendered terms in coverage of inheritance patterns, along with inclusion of transgender people in pedigree charts, may make the classroom more welcoming for students of diverse gender identities. Choosing nonstigmatizing language and acknowledging disability identities in discussions of genetic conditions may help students with visible and invisible disabilities feel validated. Counteracting genetics-based pseudoscientific racism and the stereotype threat to which it contributes may be facilitated by more thorough integration of quantitative and population genetics topics. Instructors may thus potentially enhance retention of students of diverse backgrounds in biology through careful consideration and crafting of how human differences are described and connected with principles of genetics.

Hardin, J., Carter, A., Smith, L., Lama, P., Pasquantonio, A., & Hakim, A. (2024). Perpetuating ableism in engineering education: The role of user abstraction and expertise hierarchies in the design process.” Anthropology & Education Quarterly Early View: e12531. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aeq.12531.

This ethnographic study investigates the teaching and learning of the design process in biomedical engineering classrooms. Through classroom fieldwork, we examine how faculty and students conceptualize and implement the design process, focusing on its linear teaching methods, the abstraction of users, and the reinforcement of expertise hierarchies. Our analysis reveals how these pedagogical practices perpetuate ableist assumptions within engineering education. This research contributes to the understanding of how educational practices in engineering shape professional identities and reinforce systemic biases.

James, W., Lamons, K., Spilka, R., Bustamante, C., Scanlon, E., & Chini, J. J. (2019). Hidden walls: STEM course barriers identified by students with disabilities. arXiv:1909.02905. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1909.02905.

Historically, non-disabled individuals have viewed disability as a personal deficit requiring change to the disabled individual. However, models have emerged from disability activists and disabled intellectuals that emphasize the role of disabling social structures in preventing or hindering equal access across the ability continuum. We used the social relational proposition, which situates disability within the interaction of impairments and particular social structures, to identify disabling structures in introductory STEM courses. We conducted interviews with nine students who identified with a range of impairments about their experiences in introductory STEM courses. We assembled a diverse research team and analyzed the interviews through phenomenological analysis. Participants reported course barriers that prevented effective engagement with course content. These barriers resulted in challenges with time management as well as feelings of stress and anxiety. We discuss recommendations for supporting students to more effectively engage with introductory STEM courses.

Kim, H., Ottens, M., Jacob, M., & Qiao, X. (2025). Examining STEM Preferences in Autistic Students: The Role of Contextual Support, Self-Efficacy, and Outcome Expectations. Exceptional Children OnlineFirst. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00144029241312777.

Over recent decades, there has been a significant increase in postsecondary STEM education among autistic individuals. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, this study examined the STEM pathways of autistic students, emphasizing key determinants like proximal context, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations within the framework of social cognitive theory. The results revealed that despite a lower college attendance rate, autistic students displayed a pronounced inclination for STEM majors, particularly in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics. Notably, autistic students who pursue higher education tend to exhibit increased levels of self-efficacy and anticipate more positive outcomes within STEM disciplines. However, the levels of both constructs in mathematics had decreased by the 11th grade. Nonetheless, STEM self-efficacy played a significant role in influencing outcome expectations and major choices, with this relationship being more pronounced among autistic students. For autistic students, their choice of a STEM major was influenced by their self-efficacy, as well as factors like race and gender. On the other hand, for non-autistic students, their proximal context was an additional determinant in their decision. Insights gained from this research can inform educational strategies aimed at facilitating the participation of autistic individuals in postsecondary STEM education and related career paths.

Kingsburg, C. G., Silbert, E. C., Killingback, Z., & Atchison, C. L. (2020). “Nothing about us without us:” The perspectives of autistic geoscientists on inclusive instructional practices in geoscience education. Journal of Geoscience Education, 68(4), 302-310. DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2020.1768017.

Increasingly more students with disabilities, including autistic or otherwise neurodiverse students, are studying for degrees in STEM field subjects. In recent years, there has been an increased effort from the geoscience education community to make teaching more accessible and inclusive to these students. However, much of the literature on this topic lacks the voice of the individuals these practices aim to serve. This, combined with the medical, deficit-based understanding of autism typically presented in the literature, has resulted in the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, along with recommendations that may not actually serve as best practice. Here we present a more accurate and holistic explanation of what autism actually is, using our lived experiences as autistic geoscientists. We then outline a comprehensive framework for best supporting autistic and neurodiverse geoscience students, with a focus on field-based learning. This framework includes three pillars: (a) develop effective communication pathways with autistic students, (b) presume competence and include autistic students in the planning of their own accommodations, and (c) employ strategies for expectation management. We also touch on the importance of recognizing the sensory processing aspects of autism spectrum conditions and suggest strategies for minimizing these difficulties in a field environment. By centering autistic voices in the discussion of how to support autistic geoscience students, we hope to change the narrative of inclusion for this diverse, but significant population.

Kohnke, S., & Zaugg, T. (2025). Artificial Intelligence: An Untapped Opportunity for Equity and Access in STEM Education. In L. Dieker, E. Vasquez., & M. T. Marino (Eds.), Application of AI Technologies in STEM Education [Special Issue]. Education Sciences, 15(1), 68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010068.

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds tremendous potential for promoting equity and access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, particularly for students with disabilities. This conceptual review explores how AI can address the barriers faced by this underrepresented group by enhancing accessibility and supporting STEM practices like critical thinking, inquiry, and problem solving, as evidenced by tools like adaptive learning platforms and intelligent tutors. Results show that AI can positively influence student engagement, achievement, and motivation in STEM subjects. By aligning AI tools with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, this paper highlights how AI can personalize learning, improve accessibility, and close achievement gaps in STEM content areas. Furthermore, the natural intersection of STEM principles and standards with the AI4K12 guidelines justifies the logical need for AI–STEM integration. Ethical concerns, such as algorithmic bias (e.g., unequal representation in training datasets leading to unfair assessments) and data privacy risks (e.g., potential breaches of sensitive student data), require critical attention to ensure AI systems promote equity rather than exacerbate disparities. The findings suggest that while AI presents a promising avenue for creating inclusive STEM environments, further research conducted with intentionality is needed to refine AI tools and ensure they meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities to access STEM.

Kwong, E., & Lu, T. (2021, May 28). Short wave: Disabled scientists are often excluded from the lab.  National Public Radio [Website]. 

“Scientists and students with disabilities are often excluded from laboratories — in part because of how they’re designed. Emily Kwong speaks to disabled scientist Krystal Vasquez on how her disability changed her relationship to science, how scientific research can become more accessible, and how STEM fields need to change to be more welcoming to disabled scientists.”

Lawler, J. (2024). A Case Study for Enabling Autistic Students to Enter Best-of-Class Career Programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The Coastal Business Journal, 20(1), Art. 2.

Colleges can better engage autistic students. Autistic students can especially excel if colleges have a better model for growth opportunities in STEM. In this paper, in this first phase of study, the author contributes a model for best-of-class post-secondary education programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for autistic entrepreneurial students. The model enables autistic students, and non-profit organizations advocating for them, in evaluating features of post-secondary education programs in STEM. The model of this paper is a foundation for helping autistic students to enter fruitfully into professions in society.

Lee, Y., Davis, M., Lopez, E., Yakubova, G., & Cumming, I. (2024). Preparing students with intellectual disability for science, technology, engineering, and math careers. Including Disability, 4, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.51357/id.v4i.258.

Research indicates that outcomes for individuals with intellectual disability in post-secondary education (PSE), employment, and independent living lag in comparison to the general population. Students with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disability, are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers and face barriers in accessing STEM courses and career opportunities. Furthermore, students with intellectual disability are disproportionately affected by the impact of unemployment and underemployment and overall quality of life. Providing students with intellectual disability with opportunities for STEM instruction and access to STEM careers could help them with employment in the field. Therefore, the call exists for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to strengthen employment pathways for individuals with intellectual disability to find and maintain competitive employment, including STEM careers. This paper discusses potential barriers for individuals with intellectual disability in their pursuit of a career in STEM and offers recommendations for addressing the identified issues.

Leigh, J., Sarju, J., & Slater, A. (2024). Can science be inclusive? Belonging and identity when you are disabled, chronically ill or neurodivergent. In C. Kandiko Howson & M. Kingsbury (Eds.), Belonging and Identity in STEM Higher Education (pp. 269-291). London: UCL Press.

“Belonging and identity in any aspect of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education must be addressed intersectionally. The barriers and challenges that an individual experiences from any one protected characteristic (such as disability, chronic illness, neurodivergence, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality or gender) cannot be considered in isolation. In this chapter we present a series of case studies, and focus on how STEM laboratories can and should be managed to ensure that they are inclusive of students and staff who are disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent or a combination of those” (p. 269).

Limas, J. C., Corcoran, L. C., Baker, A. N., Cartaya, A. N., & Ayres, Z. S. (2022). The impact of research culture on mental health & diversity in STEM. Chemistry: A European Journal Early View. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202102957.

This paper focuses on key aspects of academic research culture that can impact STEM researcher mental health: bullying and harassment; precarity of contracts; diversity, inclusion, and accessibility; and the competitive research landscape, as well as exploring why mental health matters for researchers. Further, key recommendations are provided and actionable steps are outlined that institutions can take to make research in STEM inclusive for all.

The onset of COVID-19, coupled with the finer lens placed on systemic racial disparities within our society, has resulted in increased discussions around mental health. Despite this, mental health struggles in research are still often viewed as individual weaknesses and not the result of a larger dysfunctional research culture. Mental health interventions in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic community often focus on what individuals can do to improve their mental health instead of focusing on improving the research environment. In this paper, we present four aspects of research that may heavily impact mental health based on our experiences as research scientists: bullying and harassment; precarity of contracts; diversity, inclusion, and accessibility; and the competitive research landscape. Based on these aspects, we propose systemic changes that institutions must adopt to ensure their research culture is supportive and allows everyone to thrive.

Link, A. J. (2024, May). An Accessible Future. In D. Norman, T. Sacco, & D. Russell (Eds.), An Astronomical Inclusion Revolution Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Professional Astronomy and Astrophysics (pp. 3-1 – 3-6). Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing Ltd. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/ad2174ch3.

What does it mean when we make the claim that the future should be accessible? How far into the future do we have to travel before we live in an accessible world? What does a truly accessible world look and sound and feel like? What will the experiences in an accessible future be? And how will we know that the world is accessible? As someone working on Space Law and Outer Space communication, these are questions that I think about daily. In my work, I try to center accessibility and the needs of folks who do not have access to the spaces and places where so many incredible things are happening within the space industry and the broader space community. My background is in disability rights policy work and disability justice organizing through various disability-led nonprofits, however the idea of access and creating an Accessible Future goes so far beyond disability inclusion as part of our diversity initiatives, and requires a radical reimagining of the futures we want to create.

Marjadi, M. N., Smith, R. A., Tu, H. F., Ajmani, A. M., Holland, A. R., Lopez, B. E., Morelli, T. L., & Bradley, B. A. (2025). Centering voices of scientists from marginalized backgrounds to understand experiences in climate adaptation science and inform action. PLOS One. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318438.

Identifying and building solutions to help people and ecosystems adapt to climate change requires participation of all people; however, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, including environmental sciences, continue to lack diversity. To address this issue, many institutions have increased programming to recruit and retain people from historically marginalized backgrounds in STEM fields. Institutions use surveys to evaluate the experiences of community members and identify areas for improvement; however, surveys often summarize and reflect majority perspectives and disregard voices of historically marginalized individuals. In June 2021, a survey of graduate students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and researchers affiliated with the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CASC) evaluated their experiences of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) using Likert-based and long-answer questions. We analyzed the results as a whole, but also focused on the responses of people who self-identified as members of a marginalized group (“marginalized respondents”) in climate adaptation science to center their voices. Marginalized respondents reported being motivated to enter climate adaptation science to improve society and the environment rather than for intellectual curiosity, which motivated one third of non-marginalized respondents. Once in science, marginalized respondents reported feeling less supported and comfortable at work and were more likely to have considered leaving science and academia in the last year. Long-answer responses of marginalized respondents indicated distrust in the ability of leadership and existing DEIJ initiatives to effectively tackle systemic issues and emphasized the importance of focusing on equity and inclusion before recruitment. Marginalized respondents identified additional funding to support existing DEIJ efforts and undergraduates as priorities. By allowing participants to self-identify as part of a marginalized group, we were able to highlight experiences and needs without risking exposure based on race, gender, disability status, or sexual orientation. This approach can be applied to other small organizations with limited demographic diversity.

Mattison, S. M., Gin, L., Abraham, A. A.,Moodie, M., Okanlami, F., & Wander, K. (2022). Community voices: Broadening participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine among persons with disabilities. Nature Communications, 13(7208). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34711-w.

Disability has too often been peripheral to efforts to widen the STEMM pipeline, hampering research quality and innovation. Inspired by change in education delivery and research collaborations during the pandemic, we offer a structure for efforts to recruit and retain disabled scientists and practitioners.

McCall, C., Shew, A., Simmons, D. R., Paretti, M. C., & McNair, L. D. (2020). Exploring student disability and professional identity: navigating sociocultural expectations in U.S. undergraduate civil engineering programs. Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 25(1), 79-89. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/22054952.2020.1720434.

National agencies throughout Australia and the United States (U.S.) have called for broadened participation in engineering, including participation by individuals with disabilities. However, studies demonstrate that students with disabilities are not effectively supported by university systems and cultures. This lack of support can shape how students form professional identities as they move through school and into careers. To better understand these experiences and create a more inclusive environment in engineering, we conducted a constructivist grounded theory exploration of professional identity formation in students who identify as having a disability as they study civil engineering and experience their first year of work. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 undergraduate civil engineering students across the U.S. and analysed them using grounded theory techniques. Navigating sociocultural expectations of disability emerged as one key theme, consisting of three strategy types: (1) neutrally satisfying expectations, (2) challenging expectations, and (3) aligning with expectations. Regardless of strategy, all participants navigated sociocultural expectations related to their studies and their disabilities. This theme highlights the ways sociocultural influences impact students’ navigation through their undergraduate civil engineering careers. These findings can be used to examine cultural barriers faced by students with disabilities to enhance their inclusion in engineering.

McCullough, B., Bellman, S., Buck, A., Jenda, O., Jenson, R., Marghitu, D., Massey-Garrett, T., Petri, A., Pettis, C., Shannon, D., Takahashi, K. & Traiger, J. (2024). NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Initiative: TAPDINTO-STEM National Alliance for Students with Disabilities in STEM, An Innovative Intersectional Approach of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Students with Disabilities. In M. Antona & C. Stephanidis (Eds.), Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction HCII 2024 Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol 14698. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60884-1_8.

Persons with disabilities are one of the most significantly underrepresented groups in STEM education and employment, comprising a disproportionately smaller percentage of STEM degrees and jobs compared to their percentages in the U.S. population [1]. TAPDINTO-STEM employs a collective impact approach with dozens of partnering institutions to increase the number of students with disabilities (SWDs) who complete associate, baccalaureate and graduate STEM degrees and enter the STEM workforce.

McDermott, L. G., Mosley, N. A. & Cochran, G. L. (2024, February). Diverging nonlocal fields: Operationalizing critical disability physics identity with neurodivergent physicists outside academia. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 20(1), 010111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.20.010111.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education research and physics education research, in particular, are currently struggling with a dearth of research into understanding the experiences and identity development of neurodivergent students. In addition, an even larger gap in research exists looking into nonacademic members who have left the field and still strongly identify with their disciplinary identity. As valued members of our physics community, these colleagues provide a unique perspective as to how identity and participation are nurtured and developed, particularly among rising disabled physicists. To resolve these current issues and aid in future research, we operationalize our new Critical Disability Physics Identity framework and present results from interviews with three neurodivergent post-baccalaureate nonacademic physicists (those who have left physics and retain a strong affinity toward their identity as a physicist). As the first paper in a four-part phenomenological study into the identity development of neurodivergent physicists, we also present an analysis of each interview through a Critical Disability Physics Identity lens and discuss the implications of their Critical Disability Physics Identity development. We find that neurodivergent students experience very little outright discrimination and violence but experience structural ableism in the form of assessment that is not constructed for how neurodivergent physicists perform physics-related tasks. Additionally, we find that neurodivergent physicists seem to ground identity in having a strong interest in physics, something that is only shaken by professors and others in power being neutral toward the discrimination experienced by neurodivergent people. We find that there are very large power imbalances between professors and neurodivergent students and that only when professors and others in power are actively anti-ableist is this power imbalance remedied and neurodivergent students begin to feel that they are physicists.

McDermott, L. G., & Oleynik, D. P.  (2023). Neuroqueer literacies in a physics Context: A discussion on changing the physics classroom using a neuroqueer literacy framework. arXiv physics, 2309.04424v1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2309.04424.

Life experience, identity, the relationship between ourselves and the world around us among others, all affect and shape how we, as scientists, construct knowledge. Neurodiversity, the diversity of minds, is an interesting concept when keeping this in mind. Being neurodivergent, or neuroqueer (the viewing of being neurodivergent as a queer thing, along with the intersection of neurodiversity and queerness), means having non-neurotypical ways of perceiving and interacting with the world, and especially of creating knowledge about the rules and regulations, both natural and societal, that govern it locally and broadly. Neuroqueer physicists, therefore, have unique non-normative ways of doing physics, the study of the rules (which is done societally) which govern the natural world. It is imperative that, when teaching neurodivergent students, we encourage and support this non-normative way of thinking about physics, and help them do physics in ways that they will be successful, and support the development of Neuroqueer (Scientific) Literacies, from Kleekamp’s and Smilges’s works on literacy. We here present a brief overview of Neuroqueer Literacies and how to apply them in the physics classroom.

McDonald, N., Massey, A. & Hamidi, F. (2021, December). AI-Enhanced Adaptive Assistive Technologies: Methods for AI Design Justice. In S. Pan & J. Foulds (Eds.), Responsible AI and Human-AI Interaction [Special Issue]. Bulletin of the Technical Committee on Data Engineering, 44(4), 3-13.

The design of artificial intelligent (AI) enhanced adaptive assistive technologies (AATs) presents exciting promise for those with motor or audio/vision impairment. However, these technologies also introduce tremendous privacy risks, particularly for those with compounding identity vulnerabilities. In this paper, we reflect on why and how AATs need to be designed in collaboration with intersectional AAT users to
ensure that the benefits of AI do not sacrifice privacy for the most vulnerable. We discuss methods and tools we have developed to meet these challenges, lessons we have learned from studies with them, and future opportunities.

Meghdari, A., & Alemi, M.  (2020, June 26). STEM teaching-learning communication strategies for Deaf students. RAIS: Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3909869.

Language is one of the most important features of humanity and an essential element of human existence. Sign language is a solution to meet the verbal and communication needs of the Deaf community as the many spoken languages meet the communication needs of the hearing community. Since unique skills and life experiences shape scientists, each researcher has their own perspective on research endeavors. Consequently, the diversity of life and cultural experiences among scientists has led to the expansion of research directions, and accordingly, to scientific inventions and discoveries. Deaf people, for example, have been successful prospects in scientific research and discoveries. However, the Deaf continue to face challenges in academic science and engineering education. Most Deaf students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) associate with professors who have little experience working with Deaf people and often lack an awareness of Deaf people and their culture. A lack of access to the necessary communication skills can often cause Deaf students to feel dissatisfied or unable to study basic science and engineering subjects. This paper attempts to provide some key solutions to support Deaf students in science and engineering using a descriptive-analytical approach, reviewing the evidence, opinions, and experiences of Deaf experts and scientists. In this study, we discuss potential topics for teaching and coaching research suitable to the Deaf academic environment, concerning the layout of class and chairs, and also point out the importance of Deaf/hard of hearing scientists in deaf-related research. In addition, we address the need and impact of general and specialized sign language instruction in university curricula to enhance the communication skills of interested graduates in the face of the Deaf community.

Mendelson III, J. R. (2022). Letters to the Editor: What happens when a field biologist becomes disabled? Herpetological Review, 53(1), 64–66.

“What happens when fieldwork goes away? What happens when a field biologist suddenly becomes disabled?” (p. 64).

Mercer-Mapstone, L., Banas, K., Davila, Y., Huston, W., Meier, P., & Mekonnen, B. (2021). ‘I’m not alone’: outcomes of a faculty-wide initiative for co-creating inclusive science curricula through student–staff partnership. International Journal for Academic Development Ahead-of-Print. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2021.1988618.

We explored the experiences of and outcomes for students and staff working in partnership on an academic development project aiming to enhance the inclusivity of science curricula across a faculty. Quantitative survey data revealed changes in student and staff perceptions, including increases in sense of belonging for both, perceptions of fairness in decision-making for students, and increased adoption of inclusive teaching practices for staff. Open responses articulated the benefits and challenges of the project. Implications of this research will be relevant to academic developers working in similar spaces, such as decolonising the curriculum or engaging students as partners in development work.

Mikropoulos, T. A., & Iatraki, G. (2022). Digital technology supports science education for students with disabilities: A systematic review. Education and Information Technologies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11317-9.

Students with disabilities are being encouraged to achieve high academic standards in science education to understand the natural world, acquire life skills, and experience career success. To this end, digital technology supports students with disabilities in order for them to achieve science literacy. While relevant research has presented evidence-based practices to teach science content, the role of technology has yet to be clearly defined in teaching and learning processes. This article presents a systematic literature review on the contribution of technology in science education for students with disabilities. A total of 21 journal articles, during the 2013–2021 period, were identified after an exhaustive search in academic databases. The educational context and learning outcomes of these 21 empirical studies were analyzed. The results show that increased motivation was the main contribution for using digital technology in science education. Positive learning outcomes likely depend on the way digital technology is used, i.e., affordances of each specific technological implementation. Digital technology and its affordances are recommended among other quality indicators for evidence-based research designs in digitally supported learning environments for students with disabilities.

Morgan, J. D. (2023, August). Disability and developmental biology. Development, 150(16), dev201905. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.201905.

Disabled scientists face tremendous barriers to entry into, and progression within, a scientific career, remaining immensely under-represented at every career stage. Disability inclusivity drives in science are increasingly prevalent, but few data are available from the developmental biology community specifically. The Young Embryologist Network sought to draw attention to this by platforming disability inclusivity as a key theme at the 2022 conference. Here, I review literature exploring disabled scientists’ experiences in academia, report findings from the conference attendee survey and spotlight a new disability support grant from the British Society for Developmental Biology. I also highlight specific unmet needs and suggest educational resources and actionable measures in the hope of improving the experiences of disabled scientists in our community.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2024). Disrupting ableism and advancing STEM: Promoting the success of people with disabilities in the STEM workforce: Proceedings of a workshop series. Washington, DC: The
National Academies Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27245.

People with disabilities are the largest minority group in the United States. While nothing about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, jobs, or workplaces would seem to inherently exclude people with disabilities, in practice, stigma and discrimination continue to limit opportunities for disabled people to fully contribute to and be successful in the STEM ecosystem. The planning committee for Beyond Compliance: Promoting the Success of People with Disabilities in the STEM Workforce of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, organized a hybrid national leadership summit and virtual workshop series to address and explore issues of accessibility and inclusivity in STEM workplaces. Across the 5 days of workshops, dozens of panelists spoke about their personal and professional experiences of ableism and barriers to full participation in the STEM workforce, as well as identified positive examples of mentorship and efforts to create fully inclusive STEM spaces in education, labs, the private sector, and professional development settings.

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). (2023). Diversity and STEM: Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities 2023 [Special Report NSF 23-315]. Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation.

A diverse workforce provides the potential for innovation by leveraging different backgrounds, experiences, and points of view. Innovation and creativity, along with technical skills relying on expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), contribute to a robust STEM enterprise. Furthermore, STEM workers have higher median earnings and lower rates of unemployment compared with non-STEM workers. This report provides high-level insights from multiple data sources into the diversity of the STEM workforce in the United States.

Nieminen, J. H., & Pesonen, H. V. (2020). Taking universal design back to its roots: Perspectives on accessibility and identity in undergraduate mathematics. In S. Staats & A. Lee (Eds.), Increasing Participation in Higher Education STEM Programs: Practices, Policies, Pedagogies to Disrupt Exclusion [Special Issue]. Education Sciences, 10(1),12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10010012.

Universal Design has been promoted to address the diversity of learners in higher education. However, rarely have Universal Design implementations been evaluated by listening to the voices of disabled students. For this study, we investigated the perceptions of three disabled students who took part in an undergraduate mathematics course designed with the principles of Universal Design for Learning and Assessment. The study consists of two parts. First, we observed the experiences students had in relation to the accessibility of the course design. The second part consisted of a further analysis of the students identifying processes to understand how they talked about their learning disabilities during the course. Our results highlight many opportunities and challenges that the course offered to the students, whilst also raising concerns about how the students excluded themselves from their student cohort in their identifying narratives. Based on our results, we argue that Universal Design should be returned to its roots by connecting it with the social model of disability. We call for future research to learn from our mistakes and consider the identifying processes of the students while designing, and hopefully co-designing, inclusive learning environments in mathematics.

Nieminen, J.H., Reinholz, D.L. & Valero, P. (2024). “Mathematics is a battle, but I’ve learned to survive”: Becoming a disabled student in university mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 116, 5–25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-024-10311-x.

In university mathematics education, students do not simply learn mathematics but are shaped and shape themselves into someone new—mathematicians. In this study, we focus on the becoming of disabled mathematical subjects. We explore the importance of abilities in the processes of being and becoming in university mathematics. Our interest lies in how teaching and assessment practices provide students with ways to understand themselves as both able and disabled, as disabilities are only understood with respect to the norm. We analyse narratives of nine university students diagnosed with learning disabilities or mental health issues to investigate how their subjectivity is constituted in discourse. Our analysis shows how the students are shaped and shape themselves as disabled mathematicians in relation to speed in mathematical activities, disaffection in mathematics, individualism in performing mathematics, and measurability of performance. These findings cast light on the ableist underpinnings of the teaching and assessment practices in university mathematics education. We contend that mathematical ableism forms a watershed for belonging in mathematics learning practices, constituting rather narrow, “normal” ways of being “mathematically able”. We also discuss how our participants challenge and widen the idea of an “able” mathematics student. We pave the way for more inclusive futures of mathematics education by suggesting that rather than understanding the “dis” in disability negatively, the university mathematics education communities may use dis by disrupting order. Perhaps, we ask, if university mathematics fails to enable accessible learning experiences for students who care about mathematics, these practices should indeed be disrupted.

Nishchyk, A., & Chen, W. (2018, January). Integrating Universal Design and Accessibility into Computer Science Curricula – A Review of Literature and Practices in Europe. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 256, 56-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-923-2-56.

The absence of accessibility in many ICT systems and products indicates insufficient accessibility competence among designers, developers and project managers. Higher education institutions play an important role in raising awareness and competence and in preparing universal design and digital accessibility specialists. Although many universities are teaching accessibility as part of the biomedical, special education and disability studies programmes, few provide accessibility education in technical specialisations such as computer science. By combining literature review and manual search and inspection we aim at investigating the state of the art in integrating universal design and digital accessibility into the curricula of computer sciences-related programmes.

Nix, K. N., Seals, C. D., & DeLoach, K. D. (2024). Neurodiverse Minds in STEM: A Literature Review Exploring the Link between Representation and School Adaptation. In A. Rodríguez-Fernández & I. Izar-de-la-Fuente (Eds.), Physical and Mental Health and School Adjustment – Contextual, Psychological Variables and Performance in School Settings. IntechOpen. doi: https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1007854.

Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the wide range of neurological differences among individuals, particularly in comparison to those considered neurotypical. These neurological differences may include conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and others. Despite the unique perspectives and strengths that neurodiverse individuals may bring, under-representation in STEM fields often occurs due to the challenges faced in these areas. As part of this chapter, the literature on neurodiverse minds is reviewed, highlighting how the lack of representation in STEM fields and insufficient understanding of their conditions can adversely affect adjustment or adaptation to school. Moreover, the possibility of neurodiverse talent in STEM fields is increased through enhanced awareness, support, and inclusion.

Orndorf, H. C., Waterman, M.,. Lange, D., Kavin, D., Johnston, S. C., & Jenkins, K. P. (2022). Opening the Pathway: An Example of Universal Design for Learning as a Guide to Inclusive Teaching Practices. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 21(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-09-0239.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a flexible framework for supporting a wide variety of learners. We report here on a conference that presented the UDL framework as a way to increase success of deaf and hard-of-hearing (deaf/hh) students in introductory biology courses. The Opening the Pathway conference was an NSF Advanced Technological Education project focusing on raising awareness about careers in biotechnology and student success in introductory biology, a key gateway course for careers in biotechnology. The participants were professionals who work with deaf/hh students at pivotal points in students’ educational pathways for raising awareness of biotechnology career options, including community college faculty, high school faculty at schools for the deaf, and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. The conference goal was to provide an effective, meaningful professional development experience in biology instruction. The conference explicitly addressed the role of a UDL approach in building accessible, inclusive, productive learning environments, particularly for deaf/hh students, and demonstrated how to make effective pedagogical practices, specifically case-based learning, inclusive and UDL-aligned in an introductory biology context. We describe the conference, conference outcomes for participants, and in particular the application of the UDL framework to create an inclusive experience.

Pérez-Montero, E., Barnés-Castaño, C., & Garcí a López-Caro, E. (2022). Audio description and other inclusive resources in the outreach project Astroaccesible. arXiv:2206.09703 [astro-ph.IM]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2206.09703.

Astroaccesible is an outreach project hosted by the Instituto de AstrofÍ sica de AndalucÍ a – CSIC and leaded by a blind astronomer aimed at the teaching and popularisation of astronomy and astrophysics among all kind of disabled and non-disabled people. Among the different strategies followed to transmit information to blind and partially sighted people, audio description is one of the most accessible and popular in the case of films and museums, but it has not been yet widely incorporated for the description of astronomical images. In this contribution we introduce {“The Universe in words”, which are a series of videos describing images of some of the most popular objects in the Messier catalogue. These audio descriptions do not only have a clear inclusive aspect, but also imply a better and deeper understanding of the represented images for everybody. This is one of the most important aspects of using inclusive resources, as they also clearly improve the efficiency of the transmission process for all kind of public. These videos can also be used as supplementary material in of in-person activities and as a complement to other kind of materials, such as sonifications or models of the same or similar type of astronomical objects.

Pester, C. W., Noh, G., & Fu, A. (2023). On the importance of mental health in STEM. ACS Polymers Au. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acspolymersau.2c00062.

From homework to exams to proposal deadlines, STEM academia bears many stressors for students, faculty, and administrators. The increasing prevalence of burnout as an occupational phenomenon, along with anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses in the STEM community is an alarming sign that help is needed. We describe common mental illnesses, identify risk factors, and outline symptoms. We intend to provide guidance on how some people can cope with stressors while also giving advice for those who wish to help their suffering friends, colleagues, or peers. We hope to spark more conversation about this important topic that may affect us all─while also encouraging those who suffer (or have suffered) to share their stories and serve as role models for those who feel they cannot speak.

Peterson, R. J. (2021, April). We need to address ableism in science. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 32(7), 507-510. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E20-09-0616.

In science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, disabled people remain a significantly underrepresented part of the workforce. Recent data suggests that about 20% of undergraduates in the United States have disabilities, but representation in STEM fields is consistently lower than in the general population. Of those earning STEM degrees, only about 10% of undergraduates, 6% of graduate students, and 2% of doctoral students identify as disabled. This suggests that STEM fields have difficulty recruiting and retaining disabled students, which ultimately hurts the field, because disabled scientists bring unique problem-solving perspectives and input. This essay briefly explores the ways in which ableism—prejudice against disabled people based on the assumption that they are “less than” their nondisabled peers—in research contributes to the exclusion of disabled scientists and suggests ways in which the scientific community can improve accessibility and promote the inclusion of disabled scientists in academic science.

Pfeifer, M. A., Cordero, J. J., & Dangremond Stanton, J. (2022). What I Wish My Instructor Knew: How Active Learning Influences the Classroom Experiences and Self-Advocacy of STEM Majors with ADHD and Specific Learning Disabilities. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 22(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-12-0329.

Our understanding of how active learning affects different groups of students is still developing. One group often overlooked in higher education research is students with disabilities. Two of the most commonly occurring disabilities on college campuses are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorders (SLD). We investigated how the incorporation of active-learning practices influences the learning and self-advocacy experiences of students with ADHD and/or SLD (ADHD/SLD) in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 STEM majors with ADHD/SLD registered with a campus disability resource center at a single university, and data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Participants described how they perceived active learning in their STEM courses to support or hinder their learning and how active learning affected their self-advocacy. Many of the active-learning barriers could be attributed to issues related to fidelity of implementation of a particular active-learning strategy and limited awareness of universal design for learning. Active learning was also reported to influence self-advocacy for some participants, and examples of self-advocacy in active-learning STEM courses were identified. Defining the supports and barriers perceived by students with ADHD/SLD is a crucial first step in developing more-inclusive active-learning STEM courses. Suggestions for research and teaching are provided.

Pfeifer, M. A., Reiter, E. M., Cordero, J. J., & Dangremond Stanton, J. (2021, June). Inside and Out: Factors That Support and Hinder the Self-Advocacy of Undergraduates with ADHD and/or Specific Learning Disabilities in STEM. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-06-0107.

Self-advocacy is linked to the success and retention of students with disabilities in college. Self-advocacy is defined as communicating individual wants, needs, and rights to determine and pursue required accommodations. While self-advocacy is linked to academic success, little is known about how students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) practice self-advocacy. We previously developed a model of self-advocacy for STEM students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or specific learning disabilities (SLD). Here, we use this model to examine what factors support or hinder self-advocacy in undergraduate STEM courses. We conducted semistructured interviews with 25 STEM majors with ADHD and/or SLD and used qualitative approaches to analyze our data. We found internal factors, or factors within a participant, and external factors, the situations and people, described by our participants, that influenced self-advocacy. These factors often interacted and functioned as a support or barrier, depending on the individuals and their unique experiences. We developed a model to understand how factors supported or hindered self-advocacy in STEM. Supporting factors contributed to a sense of comfort and security for our participants and informed their perceptions that accommodation use was accepted in a STEM course. We share implications for research and teaching based on our results.

Pfeifer, M. A., Reiter, E. M., Hendrickson, M., & Dangremond Stanton, J. (2020). Speaking up: a model of self-advocacy for STEM undergraduates with ADHD and/or specific learning disabilities. International Journal of STEM Education, 7, Art. 33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00233-4.

Background: Students with disabilities are underrepresented in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Students with disabilities who engage in self-advocacy earn higher GPAs and are more likely to graduate from college compared to students with disabilities who do not engage in self-advocacy. We utilized Test’s conceptual framework of self-advocacy, which breaks self-advocacy into four components: knowledge of self, knowledge of rights, communication, and leadership to investigate how students with invisible disabilities practice self-advocacy in undergraduate STEM courses. Through a partnership with a disability resource center (DRC), we recruited and interviewed 25 STEM majors who received accommodations for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or a specific learning disorder (SLD). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis.

Results: We found evidence of all components of Test’s conceptual framework of self-advocacy and operationalize each based on our participants’ experiences. We identified novel components of self-advocacy for students with ADHD/SLD in undergraduate STEM courses, including knowledge of STEM learning contexts and knowledge of accommodations and the process to obtain them, as well as, a novel self-advocacy behavior, filling gaps. Filling gaps involved participants taking action to mitigate a perceived limitation in either their formal accommodations from the DRC or a perceived limitation in the instructional practices used in a STEM course. We also identified beliefs, such as view of disability and agency, which influenced the self-advocacy of our participants. We incorporated the emergent forms of self-advocacy into Test’s conceptual framework to propose a revised model of self-advocacy for students with ADHD/SLD in undergraduate STEM courses.

Conclusions: We developed a revised conceptual model of self-advocacy for students with ADHD/SLD in undergraduate STEM courses. This conceptual model provides a foundation for researchers who wish to study self-advocacy in undergraduate STEM courses for students with ADHD/SLD in the future. It also offers insights for STEM instructors and service providers about the self-advocacy experiences of students with ADHD/SLD in undergraduate STEM courses. We propose hypotheses for additional study based on our conceptual model of self-advocacy. Implications for research and teaching are discussed.

Mwaipopo, R. N., Lihamba, A., & Njewele, D. C. (2011). Equity and Equality in Access to Higher Education: The Experiences of Students with Disabilities in Tanzania. Research in Comparative and International Education, 6(4), 415-429. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2304/rcie.2011.6.4.415.

Despite growing calls to increase diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, students with learning disabilities (SWLDs) remain underrepresented in STEM at the postsecondary level. Considering this call for increased diversity as a means to expand and strengthen STEM success, we used the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 to explore how participation in engineering career and technical education (E-CTE) links to postsecondary educational outcomes for SWLDs. Particularly, we examined how E-CTE participation relates to postsecondary remedial course taking, enrollment in a 4-year postsecondary institution, and declaration of a STEM major. Results from school fixed-effects estimations suggest that each credit of E-CTE earned is associated with fewer remedial college courses, a higher likelihood of enrolling in a 4-year as opposed to sub-baccalaureate institution, and increased odds of declaring a STEM major. To conclude, we discuss the implications of our findings for both policymakers and practitioners.

Plasman, J. S., Oskay, F., & Gottfried, M. (2024). Transitioning to Success: The Link between E-CTE and College Preparation for Students with Learning Disabilities in the United States. In V. Snodgrass Rangel, J. Henderson, & D. Burleson (Eds.), STEM Education for All: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges [Special Issue]. Education Sciences, 14(2), 116. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020116.

In recent years, there has been a specific call to not only increase the number of engineering-trained individuals but also to address the lack of diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, including individuals with disabilities. In particular, students with learning disabilities (SWLDs) make up a large portion of all students and are, therefore, a crucial population on which to focus educational and career progression efforts. One potential means of promoting persistence along the STEM pipeline—engineering specifically—is through engineering career and technical education (E-CTE) coursework in high school. Using a nationally representative dataset, we explore how E-CTE participation links to college preparation and transition activities for SWLDs, including math SAT performance, dual credit course participation, college application, and FAFSA completion. Under our more rigorous school fixed-effects models, we find that E-CTE participation is associated with beneficial results across each of our outcomes. The implications are discussed.

Powder, J. (2023, February 27). How ableism holds back scientists–and science. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Disability Headlines.

Until research is equitable and inclusive for people with disabilities—whether they’re scientists or trial participants—we won’t fully benefit from advances in science.

Ramiah, R., Godinho, L.,. & Wilson, C. (2022). Tertiary STEM for All: Enabling Student Success Through Teaching for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 30(3), 32-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30722/IJISME.30.03.003.

This position paper sets out the need and rationale for systemic change in STEM learning and teaching as a means of retaining and supporting the success of underrepresented cohorts in STEM. Efforts in recruiting and retaining these students in STEM higher education degrees and subsequently, STEM careers, will continue to be undermined, if we are unable to provide them with a supportive learning environment that recognises and mitigates the inherent disparities that they have historically faced and continue to face. We propose that rather than focusing on an individual equity group and how to best support them, which may lead to perpetuation of a deficit mindset for faculty, we instead propose a project that considers the biases inherent in our current pedagogical practices and the ways in which we can build awareness of the inequities that these entrench. We intend for the outcomes of this project to support the ongoing efforts for individual equity groups as well as mitigating against future inequities by empowering faculty to create inclusive learning experiences.

Prema, D., & Dhand, R. (2019). Inclusion and accessibility in STEM education: Navigating the duty to accommodate and disability rights. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 8(3), 121–141. https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v8i3.510.

The duty to accommodate is a fundamental legal concept embedded in Canadian human rights law. The concept itself makes a contribution to advancing the goals of human rights law by attempting to extend the right to equality by protecting people from discrimination. In post-secondary institutions, pursuant to human rights legislation, the duty to accommodate requires that educators and administrators should attempt to accommodate students with disabilities short of undue hardship. Despite these legal requirements, students with disabilities are often underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, mathematics and engineering) disciplines because they face multiple barriers to accessing reasonable accommodation within the classroom and laboratory environments in Canadian universities (Sukhai and Mohler, 2017, Sukhai et al, 2014).

Reinholz, D. L., & Ridgway, S. W. (2021). Access needs: Centering students and disrupting ableist norms in STEM. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-01-0017.

This essay describes the concept of access needs as a tool for improving accessibility in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education broadly, from the classroom, to research group meetings, to professional conferences. The normalization of stating access needs and creating access check-ins is a regular practice used in disability justice activist circles, but it has not yet been normalized in STEM education spaces. Just as normalizing the use of pronouns has been an important step for supporting gender justice, we argue that normalizing access talk is an important step for advancing disability justice in STEM fields. Moreover, we argue that all individuals have access needs, regardless of whether they are disabled or nondisabled. We provide concrete suggestions and techniques that STEM educators can use today.

Reinholz, D., & Torres-Gerald, L. (2022, March 25). Sines of Disability: Disrupting Ableism in Mathematics and Beyond. Math Values [Blog]. Washington, DC: The Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

“When you think about a mathematician, what comes to mind? Do you think of a disabled person? If you’re following common stereotypes in society, almost certainly not. Although disability and mathematics have received a lot of attention in broader society, much of it has been negative attention…. Aside from…cultural references related to success in mathematics through overcoming disability, there are volumes of research that have been written about what disabled people can’t do in mathematics (Lambert & Tan, 2017), and there’s almost nothing of substance that describes disabled brilliance. That changes today, with the launch of Sines of Disability (www.sinesofdisability.com). We are a community of mathematicians, mathematics educators, and activists who are committed to disrupting ableism in mathematics and beyond.”

Reinholz, D. L., & Ridgway, S. W. (2021, Fall). Access needs: Centering students and disrupting ableist norms in STEM. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-01-0017.

This essay describes the concept of access needs as a tool for improving accessibility in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education broadly, from the classroom, to research group meetings, to professional conferences. The normalization of stating access needs and creating access check-ins is a regular practice used in disability justice activist circles, but it has not yet been normalized in STEM education spaces. Just as normalizing the use of pronouns has been an important step for supporting gender justice, we argue that normalizing access talk is an important step for advancing disability justice in STEM fields. Moreover, we argue that all individuals have access needs, regardless of whether they are disabled or nondisabled. We provide concrete suggestions and techniques that STEM educators can use today.

Riches, A. (2022, July 21). Taking pride in disability and geochemistry. OSF Preprint. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/f87jk.

Exploration and personal story concerning disability inclusion in STEM with an emphasis on the field of Geochemistry. Written to celebrate and mark Disability pride month in 2022.

Robertson, A. D. (2023). Physics and ableism: One disabled physicist’s perspective. The Physics Teacher, 61, 156–157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0141424.

“In this article, I argue that mainstream physics epistemologies and physics teaching and learning practices reify ableism, augmenting the marginalization of disabled and chronically ill people in physics. I make this claim from my standpoint as a physicist who became disabled and chronically ill when I was 2 years old.”

Robertson, A. D. (2024, December). Disability as politics and pride: Imagining a future for physics unhooked from ableism. The Physics Teacher, 62(9), 792–793. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0245883.

“I will never forget the second day of my qualifying exams in graduate school. I woke up around 6 a.m. to a distinctive and recognizable cramping in my abdomen and spent the next several hours in the bathroom, navigating an episode of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Those hours were punctuated by frantic phone calls to the graduate program assistant’s office, hoping to catch her the moment she arrived so that we could make a plan for how I would navigate my exam under the circumstances. When I finally got in touch, our best idea was that I would take my remaining exam in a separate room, proctored by her, and we would pause the clock when I needed to go throw up or manage other digestive distress.

Reflecting on this experience 15 years later through the lens of disability studies, I feel grateful that I was offered last-minute accommodations. Many disabled people aren’t offered accommodations at all; cannot risk disclosing their disability status for a variety of reasons (including racism, heterosexism, fatphobia, and other intersecting oppressions); or would have needed to have gone through an extensive (and intrusive) process, months in advance, to receive the accommodations I (a white, disabled, cisgender woman) did. At the same time that I am grateful, I also profoundly feel the lack of creativity reflected in our (including my) believing that the only way forward was for me to take my qualifying exam, at school, in the midst of a debilitating IBS episode.

In the rest of this essay, I’d like to explore what a disability studies lens offers, analytically, for understanding what happened and then imagining more humane possibilities” (p. 792).

Rudzki, E. N., & Kohl, K. D. (2023). Deficits in accessibility across field research stations for scientists with disabilities and/or chronic illness, and proposed solutions. Integrative and Comparative Biology, icad019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icad019.

Equity and inclusivity in STEM research has become a larger topic of discussion in recent years, however researchers and scientists with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses are often missing from these conversations. Further, while field research is a major research component for some STEM disciplines, it is unclear what accessibility barriers or accommodations exist across the field sciences. Field research can sometimes involve harsh environments, topography, and weather, that present challenges to those with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. A large and coinciding obstacle standing in the way of field research accessibility is the ableism present across science and academia, resulting in and from a lack of prioritization of attention and funding from universities and institutions. Biological field stations have been shown to be valuable not only as infrastructure for field-based research, but also as providing resources towards the scientific education of students and scientific outreach initiatives for the general public. As such, biological field stations are perfectly positioned to reduce barriers in research inclusion and accessibility for students and scientists with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. The current work presents the results of a survey meant to inventory the presence or absence of accessible infrastructure across field stations, with responses spanning 6 countries and 24 USA states. Our results highlight a number of accessibility deficits, in areas such as accessible entrances, kitchens, and bathrooms. Our results suggest that (1) biological field stations have significant variability in accessibility with significant deficits especially in non-public-facing buildings used primarily by staff and researchers, and (2) field stations would benefit from an increase in federal funding opportunities to expedite their progress towards compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. We propose potential solutions to field work infrastructure spanning a range of financial costs, with emphasis on the point that efforts towards accessibility do not require an “all or nothing” approach, and that any step towards accessibility will make field stations more inclusive. Additionally, we further suggest that federal funding sources, such as the NSF and NIH, as well as university leadership, should consider broadening diversity initiatives to promote the continuation of, and increased accessibility of, university-affiliated field stations.

Rutkofske, J. E., Pavlis, T. L., & Ramirez, S. (2022, August). Applications of modern digital mapping systems to assist inclusion of persons with disabilities in geoscience education and research. Journal of Structural Geology, 161, 104655. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2022.104655.

New and emerging technologies are changing the world as we know it, and how we choose to perform geologic fieldwork is changing as well. Recent developments in hardware and software provide unprecedented opportunities not only for conventional field studies but also for persons traditionally exempt from field-related research because of mobility issues or inability to travel. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) first allowed digital geologic mapping in the field, and these systems remain in widespread use because of ease of use and ease of data duplication for collaboration in work teams or field classes. We present a general 2D workflow based on GIS approaches that affords opportunities for physically disadvantaged individuals that includes cognitive steps driven by the data assembly process in GIS. Most notable is the digitization of linework and exploration of an area with Google Earth Pro (GEP) as steps, outside the field, that allow assessment of an area to formulate hypotheses that can be done by a physically disadvantaged person as well, or better, than those physically capable of field exploration. We then explore emerging technologies including pseudo-3D viewing using image drapes on an elevation model (aka 2.5D method) and true 3D approaches based on Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry that provide a powerful toolbox back at the office or at base camp that does not require physical abilities or direct field access. These 3D tools are potentially transformative for mobility impaired individuals that could allow them to work individually, or as part of a team, to assess field related problems. For all 3 levels of digital mapping (2D, 2.5D and 3D) we emphasize specific workflows designed to help the researcher perform digital geologic mapping with a specific focus on individuals with limited mobility. Some or all of what we suggest here, however, is of benefit to any field geologist and can be used to augment, or completely perform field studies.

Salvatore, S., White, C. & Podowitz-Thomas, S. (2024). “Not a cookie cutter situation”: How neurodivergent students experience group work in their STEM courses. International Journal of STEM Education, 11, Art. 47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-024-00508-0.

Background

Although group work is increasingly used in STEM courses and may lead to improved academic outcomes, there is evidence that some implementations of group work may lead to unintended barriers for certain students’ learning. Despite the growing number of neurodivergent undergraduate students, there is limited research on neurodivergent students’ experiences with group work in STEM courses. To address this knowledge gap, the current research investigated the experiences of 22 neurodivergent undergraduate students with group work in STEM courses at a range of institution types and in a variety of STEM disciplines. Participants shared experiences with in-class and out-of-class group work assignments for lecture and laboratory courses.

Results

Through inductive thematic coding of semi-structured interview transcripts, we identified seven themes impacting participants’ experiences. Three themes were individual level: personal characteristics that participants associated with their neurodivergence; strategies for academic success (with subthemes of organization/time management, adaptive communication, and self-advocacy); and beliefs on group work’s value. Four themes were group level/classroom level: group dynamics; role in group (including leadership roles); the competitive culture within STEM; and recommendations for instructors. Through a social-relational perspective on disability, we proposed a model showcasing how group and classroom factors serve as supports or barriers to neurodivergent students’ full participation in group work, as well as to their sense of belonging. Using the seven themes we articulated, we outlined a set of practices for designing group work assignments. In addition, we propose how pairing inclusive assignment design with instructor reflection and articulating anti-ableist values can support neurodivergent student belonging by disrupting discourses of normalcy in STEM.

Conclusions

As one of the first studies exploring the impact that group work in STEM courses has on neurodivergent undergraduates, this work may inform reimaginations of group work practices to better address the needs of neurodivergent STEM students and support a more inclusive culture in STEM classrooms. In addition, our conceptual model may serve as the basis for future research regarding interactions between individual-level and group-level factors associated with neurodivergent students’ learning through group work and other active learning practices.

Sarju, J. P. (2021, June). Nothing about us without us – Towards genuine inclusion of disabled scientists and science students post pandemic. Chemistry: A European Journal, 27, 10489-10494. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202100268. 

Scientists and students with disabilities have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this must be urgently addressed to avoid further entrenching existing inequalities. The need for rapid decision-making, often by senior colleagues without lived experience of disabilities, can lead to policies which discriminate against scientists with disabilities. This article reflects on disability declaration statistics and research in critical disability studies and social science to explore the challenges experienced by disabled scientists before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights recommendations and examples of good practice to adopt in order to challenge ableism in STEM communities and work-places. It is vital that disabled staff and students are fully involved in decision making. This is particularly important as we continue to respond to the challenges and opportunities associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and plan for a post-COVID-19 future. This time of great change can be used as an opportunity to listen, learn, and improve working conditions and access for scientists with disabilities, and by doing so, for everyone.

Scanlon, E. M., Guthrie, M. W., Wu, X., Syerson, E., Butler, J., Mora, B., Cassens, D., Moenter, M. D., Bott, T., Adams, T., & McPadden, D. (2025). Amplifying disabled voices in physics: Experiences from the C2C design team. The Physics Teacher, 63(4), 294-295. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0265960.

This article is the introduction to a series promoting more just and anti-ableist physics education by centering the voices and experiences of disabled physics students. This work is part of a larger project called Courses to Careers (C2C), which creates professional development opportunities for disabled physics students and postsecondary physics instructors through meaningful partnerships. Part of the C2C project was to convene a design team of disabled physics students to include their voices in the professional development. Motivated by systemic barriers that persist in physics classrooms, this series will amplify voices of the design team to advocate for disability justice in physics instruction. This article provides an overview of the context of disability in physics, introduces key models for understanding disability, and reviews existing research on barriers to access in physics education.

Schearer, E., LaMack, C. & LaMack, H. (2025). How engineering students learn and are impacted by empathy training: A multi-year study of an empathy program focused on disability and technology. Biomedical Engineering Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43683-025-00179-5.

Purpose Measurable results of efforts to teach empathy to engineering students are sparse and somewhat mixed. This study’s objectives are (O1) to understand how empathy training affects students’ professional development relative to other educational experiences, (O2) to track empathy changes due to training over multiple years, and (O3) to understand how and what students learn in empathy training environments.

Methods Students in a multiple-semester empathy course completed surveys ranking the career development impact of the empathy program against other college experiences (O1), rating learning of specific empathy skills (O2), and ranking program elements’ impact on empathy skills (O3). Intervention and control groups completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Jefferson Scale of Empathy at four time points (O2). Cohort students participated in post-program interviews (O1, O3).

Results O1: Empathy training impacted career development more than several typical college activities but less than courses in major. O2: Students reported gains in four taught empathy skills. Cohort students showed significant increases in the Jefferson Scale while the control group did not. There were no significant changes in Interpersonal Reactivity Index scores. O3: interactive exercises had a significant effect on students’ learning all empathy skills while interactions with people with disabilities had significant effect on learning to encounter others with genuineness. Students valued building a safe in-class community facilitating their success in experiential environments.

Conclusions This study highlights empathy skills’ importance in engineering students’ development, shows gains in empathy with training, and uncovers key factors in students’ learning experience that can be incorporated into engineering curricula.

Schneiderwind, J., & Johnson, J. M. (2020). Disability and Invisibility in STEM Education. Journal of Higher Education Theory & Practice, 20(14). 101-104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v20i14.3854. 

Across STEM fields, the education system continues to “weed out” students from non-dominant communities. Most studies on the damaging effects of underrepresentation focus on minorities or women in STEM fields. We examine some of the research about students with disabilities and note the limited literature on this subject. University enrollment by students with disabilities has increased in the last two decades while the amount of corresponding research published has decreased. This issue should not be siloed to disability studies — it is one that must be recognized by all educators. We conclude with some practical suggestions on how to move forward.

Shifrer, D. & Mackin Freeman, D. (2021). Problematizing perceptions of STEM potential: Differences by cognitive disability status in high school and postsecondary educational outcomes. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 7, 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023121998116. 

The STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) potential of youth with cognitive disabilities is often dismissed through problematic perceptions of STEM ability as natural and of youth with cognitive disabilities as unable. National data on more than 15,000 adolescents from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 first suggest that, among youth with disabilities, youth with medicated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have the highest levels of STEM achievement, and youth with learning or intellectual disabilities typically have the lowest. Undergraduates with medicated ADHD or autism appear to be more likely to major in STEM than youth without cognitive disabilities, and youth with autism have the most positive STEM attitudes. Finally, results suggest that high school STEM achievement is more salient for college enrollment than STEM-positive attitudes across youth with most disability types, whereas attitudes are more salient than achievement for choosing a STEM major.

Shmulsky, S., Gobbo, K., & Bower, M. W. (2019). STEM Faculty Experience Teaching Students With Autism. Journal of STEM Teacher Education, 53(2), Art. 4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30707/JSTE53.2Shmulsky.

College students who have an autism spectrum condition study in STEM fields at a higher rate than their neurotypical peers, and they face documented challenges in postsecondary education. Given the proportionally higher representation of autism in STEM majors, it is important to study what works best, from an educational standpoint, for this diverse group of students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to document the experience and insight of college faculty about unique learner qualities related to autism and the qualities most needed in STEM fields. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 STEM faculty members about their experience teaching students on the spectrum, and thematic analysis was conducted to identify shared faculty perceptions. Faculty views converged on certain observable strengths, challenges, and general traits needed in their fields. The discussion summarizes findings and includes implications for teaching and postsecondary programming.

Solomon, C.M. (2024). Challenges in developing STEM sign language for inclusive education. Nature Human Behaviour, 8, 2253. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01993-7.

Caroline Solomon is a biological oceanographer and deaf. She discusses how STEM sign lexicon development contributes to inclusive education and which challenges still need to be overcome.

Stokes, A. Feig, A. D., Atchison, C. L., & Gilley, B. (2019). Making geoscience fieldwork inclusive and accessible for students with disabilities. Geosphere, 15(6), 1809–1825. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02006.1.

Fieldwork is a fundamental characteristic of geoscience. However, the requirement to participate in fieldwork can present significant barriers to students with disabilities engaging with geoscience as an academic discipline and subsequently progressing on to a career as a geoscience professional. A qualitative investigation into the lived experiences of 15 students with disabilities participating in a one-day field workshop during the 2014 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting provides critical insights into the aspects of fieldwork design and delivery that contribute to an accessible and inclusive field experience. Qualitative analysis of pre- and post-fieldwork focus groups and direct observations of participants reveal that multisensory engagement, consideration for pace and timing, flexibility of access and delivery, and a focus on shared tasks are essential to effective pedagogic design. Further, fieldwork can support the social processes necessary for students with disabilities to become fully integrated into learning communities, while also promoting self-advocacy by providing an opportunity to develop and practice self-advocacy skills. Our findings show that students with sensory, cognitive, and physical disabilities can achieve full participation in field activities but also highlight the need for a change in perceptions among geoscience faculty and professionals, if students with disabilities are to be motivated to progress through the geoscience academic pipeline and achieve professional employment.

Sum, C. M., Alharbi, R., Spektor, F., Bennett, C. L., Harrington, C., Spiel, K., & Williams, R. M. (2022). Dreaming Disability Justice in HCI. In CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts (CHI ’22 Extended Abstracts), April 29-May 5, 2022, New Orleans, LA, USA. ACM, New York, NY, USA. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3491101.3503731.

While disability studies and social justice-oriented research is growing in prominence in HCI, these approaches tend to only bring attention to oppression under a single identity axis (e.g. race-only, gender-only, disability-only, etc.). Using a single-axis framework neglects to recognize people’s complex identities and how ableism overlaps with other forms of oppression including classism, racism, sexism, colonialism, among others. As a result, HCI and assistive technology research may not always attend to the complex lived experiences of disabled people. In this one-day workshop, we position disability justice as a framework that centers the needs and expertise of disabled people towards more equitable HCI and assistive technology research. We will discuss harmful biases in existing research and seek to distill strategies for researchers to better support disabled people in the design (and dismantling) of future technologies.

Summers, S., & Rogge, R. (2025). Empathy, access, and engineering: Empathy maps in a disability studies course for STEM students. In J. Robinson & R. Weber (Eds.), Collaborations and partnerships in user experience [Foundations and Innovations in Technical and Professional Communication] (pp. 311-315). The WAC Clearinghouse, University Press of Colorado.

In this chapter, the authors describe an empathy map assignment in a cross-disciplinary introduction to disability studies course. The course, co-taught by a professor of English and a professor of biomedical engineering, asked students to integrate engineering design skills with human-centered approaches. The chapter includes three lessons about using empathy maps in the classroom: keep maps simple and focused on accessibility, embrace digital communication as a way to interact with users, and emphasize opportunities for enhanced team and cross-disciplinary communication.

Syhara, C. M., Hain, A., & Zaghi, A. E. (2020). Promoting Neurodiversity in Engineering Through Specialized Outreach Activities for Pre-college Students. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 20(14). DOI: https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v20i14.3856.

While a large body of literature suggests that students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) possess significant creative and risk-taking potential, they remain highly underrepresented in engineering programs. High school students with ADHD have significantly lower GPAs and are over eight times more likely to drop out than their peers without ADHD, which makes them significantly less likely to enter college engineering programs. To support the development of a more diverse engineering pipeline, this work summarizes outreach efforts to high school and middle school students with ADHD with the intention of boosting self-esteem and increasing interest in engineering.

Syharat, C. M., Hain, A., Zaghi, A. E., Gabriel, R., & Berdanier, C. G. P. (2023). Experiences of neurodivergent students in graduate STEM programs. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1149068. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1149068.

Introduction Despite efforts to increase the participation of marginalized students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), neurodivergent students have remained underrepresented and underserved in STEM graduate programs. This qualitative study aims to increase understanding of the experiences of neurodivergent graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in STEM. In this analysis, we consider how common graduate school experiences interface with the invisibility of neurological diversity, thus contributing to a set of unique challenges experienced by neurodivergent students.

Materials and methods In this qualitative study, 10 focus group sessions were conducted to examine the experiences of 18 students who identify as neurodivergent in graduate STEM programs at a large, research-intensive (R1) university. We used thematic analysis of the transcripts from these focus groups to identify three overarching themes within the data.

Results The findings are presented through a novel model for understanding neurodivergent graduate STEM student experiences. The findings suggest that students who identify as neurodivergent feel pressure to conform to perceived neurotypical norms to avoid negative perceptions. They also may self-silence to maintain stability within the advisor-advisee relationship. The stigma associated with disability labels contributes a heavy cognitive and emotional load as students work to mask neurodiversity-related traits, navigate decisions about disclosure of their neurodivergence, and ultimately, experience significant mental health challenges and burnout. Despite these many challenges, the neurodivergent graduate students in this study perceived aspects of their neurodivergence as a strength.

Discussion The findings may have implications for current and future graduate students, for graduate advisors who may or may not be aware of their students’ neurodivergence, and for program administrators who influence policies that impact the wellbeing and productivity of neurodivergent students.

Syharat, C. M., Hain, A., Zaghi, A. E., & Deans, T. (2023). Writing experiences of neurodiverse students in graduate STEM programs. Frontiers in Education, 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1295268.

Background Despite efforts to increase the participation of marginalized students, neurodivergent students remain underrepresented in graduate STEM programs. Prior research shows that these students often experience challenges related to key aspects of writing. The objective of this qualitative study is to deepen understanding of the writing experiences, strengths, and challenges of neurodivergent students pursuing graduate degrees in STEM fields. In this analysis, we consider the factors that influence the writing-specific challenges faced by neurodivergent students in graduate STEM programs. This work also explores how neurodivergent students leverage strengths and strategies for success in graduate-level writing tasks.

Results This qualitative study draws on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to consider the ways cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors impact writing experiences. We used thematic analysis of the transcripts from 13 focus groups and 1 interview to examine the writing experiences of 31 students who identify as neurodivergent in graduate STEM programs. The findings suggest that many writing challenges faced by neurodivergent graduate students are behaviors and beliefs that emerge in response to environmental factors such as the culture of STEM fields, prior experiences with writing assignments, anxiety driven by intensive feedback cycles, and perceived and experienced stigma. Study participants employed a range of collaborative and situational strategies to support and enhance their writing productivity.

Conclusion These findings may provide insight for current and future neurodivergent graduate students as they adjust to the intense writing demands of graduate degree programs and for graduate program administrators and faculty advisors as they consider new ways to support the academic success of neurodivergent graduate students.

Tedeschi, M. N., & Limeri, L. B. (2024). Models of disability as research rrameworks in biology education research. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.24-01-0026.

Advancing equity and justice in undergraduate biology education requires research to address the experiences of disabled students. Scholars working in disability studies have developed models of disability that inform Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER). To date, DBER literature has been predominantly informed by the medical and social models of disability. The medical model focuses on challenges that affect people with disabilities on an individual basis, while the social model focuses on how one’s surrounding environment contributes to the construction of disability. In this essay, we discuss past DBER research and opportunities for future research using each of these models. We will also discuss a third, less commonly used model that offers exciting opportunities to drive future research: complex embodiment. Complex embodiment positions disability as a social location that reflects a greater societal value structure. Further examining this value structure reveals how ability itself is constructed and conventionally understood to be hierarchical. Additionally, we explain epistemic injustice as it affects disabled people, and how future education research can both address and counteract this injustice. We discuss how expanding the frameworks that serve as lenses for DBER scholarship on disability will offer new research directions.

Todd, W. F., Atchison, C. L., & White, L. D. (2022). Amplifying the voices of diverse scholars to integrate culture in the Earth sciences. Journal of Geoscience Education Online Before Print. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2140276.

“The representation of diverse scholars from various ethnic, cultural, and ability groups in the Earth sciences is critically low exhibiting a crucial need and an opportunity to not only increase diversity but also to create agency for diverse scholars (Bowser & Cid, 2021). These needs can be effectively accomplished through the development of innovative strategies that focus on damaging policies, practices, and opinions prevalent within academia as it struggles and create equitable spaces for all to feel supported and welcome (Guillory & Wolverton, 2008; Smythe et al., 2020). VOICES of Integrating Culture in the Earth Sciences (VOICES) is a collaborative program dedicated to identifying persistent issues preventing the retention, representation, and recruitment of all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups currently underrepresented in the Earth sciences. Here we define with intention diverse scholars as those historically underrepresented, as a construct of ableism, gender, sexuality, cultural, and racial identities using asset-based language to capture the intersection of these complex identities (Gomez et al., 2021; Steele, 1997; Steele & Aronson, 1995)” (p. 1).

Walkowiak T. A. (2025). Female students with disabilities’ perceptions of science, technology, engineering, mathematics education. Doctoral dissertation, Education, Walden University.

The demand to increase enrollment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs has intensified globally since the early 21st century. Researchers have concentrated on the gender divide with limited research on female students with disabilities (FSwDs). The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore FSwDs’ perceptions of their successes and challenges with accessibility, inclusion, and support experienced in STEM education programs, as well as their recommendations for improving policies and practices in STEM higher education. The study was grounded in social identity and social learning theories. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with nine FSwDs who were engaged in STEM activities or enrolled in STEM education courses at three local colleges and had their disabilities on file with the institution. Axial coding produced the following four themes: 1) appreciation for fostering innovation and motivation, 2) dedication to growing better communication networks, 3) commitment to promoting enrichment and understanding, and 4) supporting structural enhancements. These results could lead to positive social change by enriching the learning environment and academic settings, by streamlining the communication between the disability department and STEM teachers, by strengthening the support services, and by making structural enhancements, such as updating the building infrastructure to accommodate accessible entry at all points of entrance. By providing FSwDs access to STEM education and supporting their academic success, a critical shortage of highly qualified workers in STEM fields can be addressed.

Wang, K.D., McCool, J. & Wieman, C. (2024). Exploring the learning experiences of neurodivergent college students in STEM courses. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 24, 505–518. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12650.

Neurodivergent students exhibit an inclination towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, yet their learning experiences in STEM courses remain underexamined. Utilizing an online survey of neurodivergent (n = 60) and neurotypical (n = 83) US college students, this study identified various factors influencing their self-perceived learning experiences, including interest in the course content, instruction quality and performance outcomes. Compared to their neurotypical peers, neurodivergent students attributed negative experiences in STEM courses less frequently to performance-related factors and more often to a mismatch between their interests and the course content. Both groups also articulated a variety of strengths and challenges encountered in their STEM studies. Neurodivergent students were more likely to report having interest and passion for STEM and less likely to report having peer support and effective study skills and habits as their primary strength for studying STEM. Conversely, while neurotypical students cited difficult content as their central challenge, neurodivergent students more commonly faced challenges with focus and attention. Despite the study’s limited sample size, it revealed emerging patterns that emphasize the importance of developing inclusive teaching methods and specific support mechanisms to cater to the unique strengths and challenges of neurodivergent students in higher education.

Wessel, J., Williams, A., Culpepper, D., Daley, G., Dow-Burger, K., Forsythe, N., Lewis, S., McQuade, P.,  Redcay, E., & Robinson, E. (2024, May). Promoting Autism Inclusion and Representation in STEM: A Faculty Training. Paper presented at Paper presented at Neurodiversity at Work Research Conference, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

“’Nothing about us, without us’ has been a rallying cry in the disability rights movement for decades and a critique of the exclusion of disabled individuals from the crafting of policy decisions that affect their lives (Charlton, 1998). Autism advocacy organizations like the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE) have noted a need for more autistic voices and leadership in scientific research, where individuals with disabilities have higher unemployment rates, less access to funded research opportunities than individuals without disabilities, and constitute only 3% of the STEM workforce (NCSES, 2021; 2023). Individuals who identify as autistic, a disability characterized by differences in social communication, experience unique equity gaps. There are more students with autism enrolled in higher education now than ever before (Shattuck et al., 2012; Zeedyk et al., 2016). However, autistic students complete degrees at almost half the rate of the general population (38.8%, Newman et al., 2011) and unemployment/underemployment rates have been reported as high as 85% (Shattuck et al., 2021). Taken together, such data indicate that STEM fields, core drivers of innovation and the economy, are failing to recruit and retain autistic students. In order to create more equitable opportunities for autistic undergraduate students interested in STEM careers, specific and purposeful development efforts are necessary. Our goal is to broaden the participation of autistic individuals in the STEM workforce and enhance the climate for autistic inclusion in STEM, through the Promoting Autistic Inclusion and Representation (PAIR) program. The PAIR program will (1) provide faculty training on creating autistic-inclusive research environments, and (2) develop a comprehensive research mentoring program for autistic undergraduate STEM students that includes a supervised research assistantship, developmental workshops, and group and peer mentoring.” (p. 1).

Vasquez, K. (2020, December). Excluded from the lab. Chemistry World [Website}.  

Inaccessibility continues to push disabled scientists out of science.

Zongrone, C., & McCall, C. J., & Paretti, M. C., & Shew, A., & Simmons, D. R., & McNair, L. D. (2021, January), “I’m Looking at You, You’re a Perfectly Good Person …”: Describing Non-Apparent Disability in Engineering. Paper presented at 2021 CoNECD, Virtual – 1pm to 5pm Eastern Time Each Day. https://peer.asee.org/36059. 

In recent years, studies in engineering education have begun to intentionally integrate disability into discussions of diversity, inclusion, and equity. To broaden and advocate for the participation of this group in engineering, researchers have identified a variety of factors that have kept people with disabilities at the margins of the field. Such factors include the underrepresentation of disabled individuals within research and industry (Spingola, 2018); systemic and personal barriers (Pearson Weatherton et al., 2017; Phillips & Pearson, 2018), and sociocultural expectations within and beyond engineering education-related contexts (Groen-McCall et al., 2018a). These findings provide a foundational understanding of the external and environmental influences that can shape how students with disabilities experience higher education, develop a sense of belonging, and ultimately form professional identities as engineers (Reference removed for review; Kimball et al., 2015).

Zurn, P., Stramondo, J., Reynolds, J. M., & Bassett, D. S. (2022, December). Expanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to Disability: Opportunities for Biological Psychiatry. Biological Psychiatry: CNNI, 7(12),1280-1288. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.08.008.

Given its subject matter, biological psychiatry is uniquely poised to lead STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives related to disability. Drawing on literatures in science, philosophy, psychiatry, and disability studies, we outline how that leadership might be undertaken. We first review existing opportunities for the advancement of DEI in biological psychiatry around axes of gender and race. We then explore the expansion of biological psychiatry’s DEI efforts to disability, especially along the lines of representation and access, community accountability, first-person testimony, and revised theoretical frameworks for pathology. We close with concrete recommendations for scholarship and practice going forward. By tackling head-on the challenge of disability inclusion, biological psychiatry has the opportunity to be a force of transformation in the biological sciences and beyond.