[Ncabs] For those in a STEM field

[Alan A. Chase]

The accessibility team here at SAS has been working with Liani Yrika,
Curator of Special Populations at the the NC Museum of Natural
Sciences, to plan a STEM Career Showcases for Students with
Disabilities.  The event will be held at the museum on Wednesday,
October 16 and it can be attended as a field trip.



The goal of the event is to connect students with disabilities with
role models, i.e. professionals with disabilities that are thriving in
their fields. We chose to focus specifically on the fields of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) because people with
disabilities are woefully underrepresented in these fields. We have
invited astar-studded line up of role models to come to Raleigh and
share their experiences with our students. Find more info about a few
of them below.




Here’s the event website which includes the registration form and bios
of all the role models. Note that registration will close in a few
weeks.



http://naturalsciences.org/programs-events/events/stem-career-showcase



I do want to tell you just a little bit about a few of the role models …



Kathleen Martinez is the Assistant Secretary of Disability Employment
Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor.  She has been blind since
birth. She will deliver a short keynote that is being written
specifically for our young students. I can’t wait to hear it.



Dr. Joshua Miele lost his vision as a young child. He earned his
Bacherlor’s in Physics and his PhD in Psychoacoustics at U.C.
Berkeley.  Currently, he is a Research Scientist at the
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute and President of the San
Francisco Lighthouse. Josh is definitely the Michael Jordan of blind
professionals.  He is taking time out of his busy schedule to fly
across the country and spend a day with our students.

-- 
Alan A. Chase, M.Ed.
Special Education Teacher, Wake County Public School System
Program Coordinator, Envisioning Youth Empowerment Retreat
President, North Carolina Association of Blind Students
Secretary, Governor Morehead School Alumni Association