•  
  •  
 

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Students with disabilities experience barriers to accessing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers during academic preparation for these careers. This pilot project explored the experiences of postsecondary STEM students who have a disability. The six students interviewed gave their insights into the need to further diversify who has access to STEM careers by describing that cultural and structural barriers posed more of a barrier than the course content during their STEM education. Academic preparation often starts in early childhood education with exposure to STEM topics and continues through postsecondary education. The implications impact both the individual student and society. STEM careers often pay at a higher rate and may provide financial security for the individual, but also STEM professionals imagine, design, and build the infrastructure of the world we live in. This was a photovoice project that included data in the form of both digital photographs and narrative interviews from these six postsecondary students enrolled in a STEM major. Their stories illuminate barriers, stigma, and bias they face to attain a STEM career and the facilitators that have encouraged their pursuit. Keywords: Science, Students with Disabilities, Intersectionality, Photovoice

Download

Click here for html

Share

COinS