DOCUMENT RESUME ED 399 723 EC 305 054 AUTHOR Stefanich, Greg P.; Egelston-Dodd, Judy, Ed. TITLE A Futures Agenda: Proceedings of a Working Conference on Science for Persons with Disabilities (Kansas City, Missouri, March 30-31, 1993). INSTITUTION Montana State Dept. of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Helena.; Montana Univ. Affiliated Rural Inst., Missoula. SPONS AGENCY National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA. PUB DATE 94 NOTE 158p.; For the 1994 conference proceedings, see EC 305 055. PUB TYPE Collected Works Conference Proceedings (021) Guides Non-Classroom Use (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Access to Education; Chemistry; *Disabilities; *Educational Strategies; Elementary Secondary Education; Hearing Impairments; Higher Education; Learning Disabilities; Physical Disabilities; Professional Development; *Science Instruction; Teacher Education; Teaching Methods; Visual Impairments ABSTRACT This book includes four papers presented at a conference on teaching science to students with disabilities. The first paper, "Science Education for Motor/Orthopedically-Impaired Students" (E. C. Keller, Jr.), covers:(1) categories of motor/orthopedic-impairments,(2) life function assessment, (3) formal and informal science teaching methods and experiences for students with disabilities, and (4) past work on science education for students with disabilities. The second paper, "Science Education for Students with Disabilities: The Visually-Impaired Student in Chemistry" (H. David Wohlers), addresses challenges that students with blindness face, based on personal experience in acquiring a doctoral degree in chemistry and working as a chemistry professor. Challenges include attitude barriers, laboratory safety, access to theoretical and experimental data graphics, and adaptations of computers and lab equipment. The third paper, "Learning Disabilities" (Helenmarie Hofman), discusses: general education settings for students with learning disabilities; science education opportunities for such children; and strategies for teaching students with learning disabilities. The fourth paper, "Science for Deaf Students: Looking into the Next Millennium" (Harry G. Lang), provides recommendations on:1) teacher training,(2) science materials,(3) scientific societies,(4) professional collaboration, and (5) involvement in national science standards efforts. Critical responses follow each paper. Appendices provide a summary of the recommendations of the conference working groups, a list of conference participants, and conference evaluation information. Each paper contains references. (CR) N Cn CC) A Fututes Agenda: Proceedings of a Working .Conference.:On, Science for Persons Wit Disabilities U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION (ERIC) (CENTERThis document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization Directed by originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Greg p. Stefanich,- University ofNorthern Iowa Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Edited by Judy Egelston-Dodd, National Technical Institute for. the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology , Supporting AsSociations , . Science Association for persons With Disabilities American Association for the Advancement of Science- Association for the Education of Teachers in Science National Science Teachers Association Funding Provided by. National Science Foundation PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY nich TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES BESICOPYAVALA INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) A Futures Agenda: Proceedings of a Working Conference on Science for Persons With Disabilities Directed by Greg P. Stefanich .University of Northern Iowa Edited by Judy Egelston-Dodd National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology Supporting Associations Science Association for Persons With Disabilities American Association for the Advancement of Science Association for the Education of Teachers in Science National Science Teachers Association Funding Provided by National Science Foundation ©1994 University of Northern Iowa 3 Table of Contents Acknowledgements i Introduction ii Addresses of Authors v Keller, E.C. Science lEduc.ation for Motor/Orthopedically-Impaired Students 1 Responses to E.C. Keller Zames, F., & Fleischer, D.Z 40 Summers, L 45 Hackett, E.T. 48 Wohlers, D. The Visually-Impaired Student in Chemistry 51 Responses to D. Wohlers Van Wagner, B 65 Dubnick, M. 68 Hofman, H.M. Learning Disabilities 71 Responses to H. Hofman Davies, J 88 Tippins, D. 90 Lang, H.G. Science for Deaf Students: Looking Into the Next Millennium 97 Responses to H.G. Lang Egelston-Dodd, J.C. 110 Himmelstein, J 112 Appendices 115 Acknowledgements The authors of this monograph wish to acknowledge the dedication and facilitating support of Virginia Stern who provided assistance in the acquisition of speakers and participants for the conference, and George Davis who co-directed the project and assisted in the preliminary arrangements for the conference. Acknowledgement is also expressed to Dina Weiss, Dave Berenhaus and Dot Theise for their special assistance in making arrangements for the conference facilities. The editor is grateful to Helenmarie Hofman who helped proofread the near final draft ant to Vivian Anvelt who rekeyed about sixty percent of the manuscript contained in this document. Appreciation is also expressed to Donavan Honnold of the Public Relations Office at the University of Northern Iowa, for his meticulous production of this publication and the several operators in the Word Processing Center at NTID at RIT for their excellent production through the drafts of this manuscript. Finally, we acknowledge the children with physical and learning disabilities who will learn science for their careers and their everyday lives. Introduction A two day, invitational working conference on Science Education for Students with Disabilities, was held in Kansas City by the Science Association for Persons with Disabilities, a National Science Teacher Association associated group. The conference, funded through the Program for Persons with Disabilities of the National Science Foundation, was held on March 30-31, 1993. Leadership for science literacy such as the NSTA's Scope, Sequence and Coordination Project with the motto, "every student, every science, every year," the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Project 2061 and its document, Science for All Americans, and the National Standards theme, " Science for All" provides a focus for full inclusion. Seventy-three science teachers, special educators, administrators, curriculum developers and others representing 29 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada met with scientists and educators with disabilities to assess needs illustrating problems and issues confronting students with disabilities as students in science. Conference participants discussed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and relative value of science education for disabled students. The enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act in the summer of 1990 opened many doors for career-minded disabled persons. We must take full advantage of this legislation by making sure that students with disabilities are given the best education possible. The population of practicing scientists today reflects a serious under representation of individuals who have had physical disabilities before or during adolescence. Studies indicate that frequently this situation is not due to a lack of ability or interest on the part of the students, but rather to inadequate science preparation in both elementary and secondary schools. It has been suggested by Whitmore (1981) that as many as 540,000 students are gifted and have disabilities in the United States. In the past, services for these students have been primarily in the area of remediation resulting from their limiting conditions, not in the development of their talents and gifts. Special educators often do not have sufficient training in science to assist a disabled child with above average intelligence in the regular classroom. At the same time many science teachers tend to overlook attention to the learner with disabilities assuming that their needs will be responded to by special education personnel. Redden (1978) investigated nationwide science opportunities for physically disabled youth. Results indicated that disabled students receive little science instruction, and what they do receive is not academically adequate to allow them to pursue science education or instruction in science-related fields as possible careers. The absence of appropriate science education for the disabled is further evidenced by the dearth of disabled persons within scientific fields. The United States Department of Education(1990) Digest of Educational Statistics reports that 10.97% of all students in 1986-87 had a disabling condition, reflecting a population of 4,374,000 individuals receiving special services in schools. At the post- secondary level, the percentage of disabled students enrolled is reported at 10.5%, deriving a population of 1,319,229 students. Weld (1990) states that lab designers and facilitators give a great deal of thought to the rich rewards to be gleaned from hands-on science at the high school level. Unfortunately, consideration is seldom accorded the physically disabled, and consequently,