Dr. Mona Minkara | Planes, Trains, and Canes

BLIND STEM

CURRICULUM

In 2016, Dr. Mona Minkara, in partnership with her STEM team, conceptualized and designed a group of educational lessons to better include totally blind or visually impaired learners into the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Blind STEM Curriculum is a collection of over a dozen experiment-based lessons that utilize commonly found, low-cost items designed with accessibility and collaboration in mind.

A blind folded person with a DNA, molecule, and rocket coming out of the brain

⚗️ Click each question word to learn more about our Blind STEM Curriculum! 🔬

WHAT

💧 Chemistry

WHY

⚛️ Physics

WHO

🧬 Biology

HOW

🔧 Technology

"

Advacement in STEM fields is achieved when all curious minds can be included.

— Dr. Mona Minkara

⚗️ Meet The Team! 🔬

🔬

Mona Minkara

Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Northeastern University

Chief of Blind STEM Curriculum Development and Implementation

As a blind scientist myself, I am passionate to give students the opportunity to experience the world of science. I want to give experiences in STEM, similar to those that I had, to visually impaired and blind learners. This Blind STEM Curriculum is one of the many ways in which I can empower the youth, bring both visually impaired and sighted learners together, and continue to grow the scientific community.

✍️

Natalie Guse

Technical Writer

Co-writer of Blind STEM Curriculum and Volunteer Implementer

As a co-writer, I am grateful to contribute my passion for communication to this important work. The world becomes a richer, more vivid place when we work together to include new perspectives and make space for unique approaches—both inside the classroom and out.

📚

John Hamill

Educator

Co-writer and Editor of Blind STEM Curriculum

Education for all is of paramount importance, especially in our modern world. We had an idea to initiate change in the accessibility of STEM; we developed the Blind STEM Curriculum; and now we are conduits for greater inclusion of our youth. This is a great honor.

CONTACT US

If you are interested in receiving access to a digital copy of the Blind STEM curriculum, click the Contact Us button below!

📧 Contact Us

🚀 Check out the Blind Stem Curriculum here →

🔍 Check out each image below and guess our lesson topics!

Icons of different objects used in science

This Blind STEM Curriculum is a one-of-a-kind collection of hands-on lessons accessible to both visually impaired and sighted learners. It has been designed with a constructivist educational approach by a blind scientist, tested by experienced educators, and implemented on learners within marginalized communities and/or with visual disabilities.

Each lesson encourages students to collaborate together and to question, to explore, and to experiment with our physical world. Lessons and experiments include activities related to multiple STEM fields, emphasize all senses, and empower learners to create and to manipulate their own materials. All required materials were chosen based on their accessibility, relative low cost, and availability in underserved regions.

After using this curriculum, learners will be able to better process scientific visual information, and they will have a better understanding of the foundations of STEM concepts.

STEM fields are largely considered visual subjects. Throughout history; textbooks, curricula, lab experiments, and classroom access have been primarily built with sight in mind. This Blind STEM Curriculum seeks to challenge this norm.

Our mission is two-fold:

to break down the perception that the STEM fields are inaccessible to visually impaired learners - to empower the youth to pursue their own passions in science and
to dismantle the misconceptions held by educators related to non-sighted learners - to successfully include both sighted and non-sighted students in the same learning environment

Different perspectives are highly valuable in STEM and spark innovation and problem solving, and through this Blind STEM Curriculum, we hope to encourage curious learners to explore new concepts. We wrote and implemented these unique lessons so that anyone with or without sight can experience STEM from a different lens. This Blind STEM Curriculum is a major benefit to learners, educators, and the STEM fields at large; as it motivates individuals to perceive science from a new angle and to collaborate with diverse minds.

Short Term

The direct recipients of the Blind STEM Curriculum are visually impaired and sighted learners interested in STEM and educators interested in teaching accessible methodologies or new approaches to traditional experimentation.

Long Term

Communities, the fields of science, and societies at large can benefit from Blind STEM Curriculum. Also, by supporting the wide dissemination of this resource, you will contribute to:

transforming the misconceptions about youth with visual impairments and their abilities among their peers, educators and members of the community,
increase their interest in pursuing STEM fields, and,
increase representation of individuals with disabilities in STEM fields and their inclusion in society.

The target audience for this Blind STEM Curriculum is limited only by the will to learn how to better accommodate our youth and to better explore our potential.

The Blind STEM Curriculum is best integrated with collaboration and ease of access in mind. Instructions and best-fit age ranges for each individual lesson are included within the documentation.

You can access the digital copy of the Blind STEM Curriculum by emailing us directly using the Contact Us button at the bottom of the page.