Dr. Mona Minkara | Synses Design

I have the honor to collaborate with Dr. Simon Park of Synses Designs to introduce a 3D printable tactile-textured chemistry modeling kit intended to introduce chemistry to physical learners and to improve the accessibility of non-sighted learning. While other kits may be functional for visually impaired learners, our unique design allows individuals with no light perception or total blindness to experience the world of chemistry. Our goal is to break down the barriers that face new chemistry students and to improve accessibility to the STEM fields.

Products

Braille Periodic Table

Tactile Chemistry Kit

Customized Kit

3D Molecular Modeling Kits Accessible to the Blind

This kit features Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Sulphur, Phosphorous, Boron, Halide atoms and detachable bonds as well as Tactility legend to identify each atom. These pieces can be used to build simple and complex molecular structures without the need to see.

Are you a blind or visually impaired individual interested in STEM?

If so, click below to check it out.

Collaborators

Dr. Simon is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. He oversees project development and research.

Dr. Minkara is one of the only blind professors in the field of bioengineering, currently an Assistant Professor at Northeastern University. Today, she serves as an advocate for blind and low vision individuals as a member for both ACS' Chemists with Disabilities committee and AIChE's Disabilities OutReach & Inclusion Community (DORIC) committee; the founder of Planes, Trains and Canes; and an entry point advisor for Emerging Researchers National Conference hosted by AAAS.

Click to see the entire team