Overview of the proceedings of the 2019 Inclusion in Science, Learning a New Direction Conference on Disability (ISLAND)

The 10th annual Inclusion in Science, Learning a New Direction Conference on Disability (ISLAND) was hosted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), with support from the UAH College of Education, UAH Office of Academic Affairs, and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, as well as the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM), a National Science Foundation funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and the UAH Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education (CCRE). On October 4-5, 2019, the conference was held at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center facility and at the new Student Services Building on the UAH campus. This year’s presentations included innovative research by science educators in formal and informal educational settings, from pre-K-12 to higher education, as well as from science education researchers, access technology developers, and other persons interested in the promotion of the full inclusion of people with disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professions. The 2019 ISLAND conference featured seventeen presentations over the two-day period. The following is intended to give the reader an overview of these presentations. This is not intended to be a comprehensive synopsis of all aspects of the discussions that were presented. Rather, readers are encouraged to review full papers authored by the presenters highlighted herein. All presenters were invited to contribute papers to this special section of JSESD

Teaching Cybersecurity to Students with Visual Impairments and Blindness

This work showcases specific adaptations used to make cybersecurity accessible to high school students with visual impairments and blindness (VIB). The rapidly growing field of cybersecurity demands a diverse workforce; however, barriers exist which can deter students with disabilities from studying cybersecurity, let alone pursuing a career in the field. To help overcome this challenge, we launched the first GenCyber camp specifically developed and instructed for high school students with VIB in summer 2019. We created a unique learning environment by combining interactive instructional aids, accessible development environments, and innovative instructional strategies. With intent to show cybersecurity as a viable career option for a diverse workforce, the program outcomes from this work included a clear understanding of the GenCyber Cybersecurity Concepts, sparking interest in cybersecurity careers, and building the confidence to pursue those careers. This material is based upon work supported by the National Security Agency and National Science Foundation through the GenCyber program under award number 19-AL-UAHx-UV-S1