Conference connects students with disabilities with STEM careers

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and SAS are teaming up to offer a free conference to students with disabilities who are considering a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Posted 12:16 a.m. Sep 3, 2013 — Updated 12:16 a.m. Sep 3, 2013

By

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and SAS are teaming up to offer a free conference to students with disabilities who are considering a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (commonly referred to as STEM).

The STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities is 10 a.m. to noon, Oct. 16, at the downtown Raleigh museum. It's free, but participants will need to pre-register. It's designed for students with disabilities in grades three to 12 who are performing at or near grade level. One-to-one chaperone is required.

Kathleen Martinez, who has been blind since birth and is assistant secretary for disability employment policy in the U.S. Department of Labor, will be the keynote speaker. She is an internationally recognized leader in the field of disability policy.

Other speakers include Ed Summers, senior manager of accessibility and applied assistive technology at SAS, who is blind; Scott Hatley, born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and co-founder of Incight, a nonprofit aimed at unlocking the potential of people with disabilities; and Joshua A. Miele, PhD, director of The Smith-Kettlewell Video Description Research and Development Center, who has made significant contributions in the areas of accessible technology.

Students will have an opportunity to hear from the panel of experts and speakers and also talk with college students and working professionals with a variety of disabilities.

If you can't attend, they will be livestreaming the conference here. Registration is not required to view the livestream.

For more information about the conference and to register, click here.

Questions? Contact Liani Yirka, curator of special populations at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, at liani.yirka@naturalsciences.org or 919-707-9887.

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