This presentation will document one case of a set of interventions to support a blind graduate student, and how he successfully navigated his research pathway through experimental inorganic chemistry and, later, chemical education. This experience embodies the spirit of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda of achieving more equitable and just societies, by promoting a more inclusive learning experience and diverse STEM workforce. Key levers in the learners’ ecology that will be discussed include pedagogical, social, technological and financial interventions. The importance of the mentor/mentee relationship as a lever for success in the graduate school experience will be highlighted. In addition, potential lines of conflict within the learners’ ecology will also be forwarded for consideration. The approaches discussed here may inform praxis in other departments of chemistry, and illustrate what is possible in Ph.D. programs in the chemical sciences, for BVI (blind and visually impaired) learners.

Becoming a graduate student in chemistry as a blind learner: Surfacing interventions for success from an autoethnographic case

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.