Creation of a National Agenda for STEM Education for Students With Visual Impairments

Abstract

The field of visual impairment has never had the opportunity to engage its community in a common discourse around STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education for students with visual impairments. When planning research projects, professionals who work in STEM education for students with visual impairments often do not know what others are doing, which leads to redundancy and leaves major gaps in research within the sub-disciplines of STEM. Therefore, resources are not being used efficiently, and the needs of students with visual impairments continue to not be met. The field of STEM education for students with visual impairments had no focused research agenda, sources for best practices, or clear directives as to the immediate needs of students with visual impairments with regard to STEM education. With the goal of making a change, we created a research agenda to address these concerns so that the field of visual impairment can move forward with one shared vision to prepare grant proposals, research projects, and curriculum development that no longer replicates or does not address all areas of STEM education.