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Denver, CO: February 15, 2003

1. Call to Order/Introductions

Richard Mankin led the introductions and distributed copies of the agenda, Treasurer's Report and Grants Committee Report. Present were: Virginia Stern (vstern@aaas.org), Board Member; Laureen Summers (lsummers@aaas.org); Edward Misquez (emisquez@nmsu.edu), Ted Conway (tconway@mail.ucf.edu), Alfred DeGraff (mailbox@saratoga-publications.com), Betty Ingram (4bolhasas@bellsouth.net) and Richard Mankin, President. Ed Keller, Woody Anderson, and Erica Penn were unable to attend and sent their regrets. During the introductions, the attendees gave brief descriptions of their current professional activities. Several opportunities for enhanced networking and collaborative efforts among Foundation members were discussed, including the upcoming Second Annual RASEM Squared Partner Retreat, a conference to network with National Science Foundation Officers and exchange information about bringing more students with disabilities into high-tech professions (see http://rasem.nmsu.edu). Alfred DeGraff discussed his recently published book, "Care Givers and Personal Assistants: How to Find, Hire, and Manage the People Who Help You (Or Your Loved One)" (ISBN 0962110612, available at www.amazon.com) that may be of interest to FSD members. The book addresses, in particular, the important and growing need of respite help for family caregivers. Ted Conway discussed his symposium on new technology to assist persons with disabilities in the workplace.

2. Minutes - February 16, 2002 Meeting (Boston, MA)

The minutes of the 2002 Annual Meeting in Boston, MA were approved as written in the 2002 newsletter.

3. Treasurer's Report

Ed Keller, Treasurer, was unable to attend the meeting, but he sent this report for the year beginning January 1, 2002 and ending December 31, 2002:

*3750 of this amount is from a judgement under ADA. See article in 2002 Newsletter.

4. Science Student Grant Committee Report: The committee submitted the following report:

DATE: February 15, 2003

SUBJECT: Report on Grants Committee Activities, February 2002 - 2003

TO: Foundation for Science and Disability Members

FROM: Richard Mankin, Chair: Erica Penn, Betty Weaver

We had about 400 requests for information in 2002, about 50% by email. Apparently, student-grant information providers have done an excellent job of disseminating information about our program. We received 6 completed applications of high quality. Mark Woods, a Computer Sciences student at Webster University, St Louis, MO, was selected as the 2003 awardee. Mark is doing a thesis on "Development of Object-Oriented Architecture of the Speech/Language Model", with potential applications for speech recognition engines.

Submitted February 12, 2003

Richard Mankin, Chair

The recommendations of the student awards committee were approved unanimously.

5. Other Old Business None

6. Old and New Business

Several ideas were discussed about the future goals and activities of the Foundation for Science and Disability. These included increasing the amount and number of awards, and increasing interactions with programs like Entry Point and RASEM², the Regional Alliance for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics at New Mexico State University. Also, the current set of officers was continued for next year. Another idea that may be of interest to pursue for next year would be to invite recent awardees and researchers to present 20-30-min papers on their research in a workshop or symposium. An example title would be: "Scientists with Disabilities Doing Science: Research Activities and Perspectives after 25 Years of Increased Access to Meetings and Resources." --- Submitted by Richard Mankin February 17, 2003

Ed here, once again and late once again, but we finished it before the end of 03!

We are going to do something different in the newsletter, although we did use this option many years ago. I am including in the newsletter a "writing" that has to do with the inequity of/to students, and adults, with disabilities have, even after they are supplied with their appropriate special needs, as defined by law (and their special education instructor {when available} ).

After the establishment of (FSD) we had items that various members wrote and were included in the newsletter fir comment. As a "friend of the Supreme Court" amicus brief (I think) etc. There were several such items, but the only one I can remember is the cased was concerning a deaf (or hard-of-hearing nurse). Her employer was changeling her capabilities and the adequacy of her performance as a nurse. Even with the support of FSD and other disability groups and advocates, she lost her case. We were associated with other actions, viz: John Gavin, Phyllis Sterner, some others, and I all testified before congressional committees and reported back to the membership he few newsletters that we do put out for interaction, as a forum for contemporary issues, and/or concerns of/about Disability and Science. We could retune to such inclusions in the newsletter. Enough of the reminisce,

As an example, in recent news (12/10) : WASHINGTON (AP) --US "Education Department officials have decided children with the most severe learning problems can be held to a different academic standard progress. The new department rule to be announced within days would affect a limited than their peers -- a move that will ease pressure on schools struggling to make yearly number of students deemed to have 'significant cognitive disabilities' by their intellectual development. And, more significantly, their scores would be counted states. It would allow those students to be tested against standards appropriate for as part of their school's performance".

We all can bring up questions on this issue, but now clearly the "No Child Left Behind" is now changed to "Only Certain Special Children Left Behind". And just who will devise the new exclusionary barriers for this sub-set of our children. I can remember similar, but more sever, exclusionary actions starting with a few children and eventually including adults with disabilities, and ultimately used on others. This occurred some 55-65 years ago in a place far-far away, another time, another continent, ultimate tragedies, and clearly out of the "lessons learned AND been there done that memories" of those CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED TO devise this ---------.

LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS NOW! Congress? Dpt. ED? Ed

So what's new! What's new is that the Supreme Court is going to hear the same old, same old challenge. .

This fall, the Supreme Court will hear the case of a man forced to crawl up steps of an inaccessible Tennessee courthouse to get to his trial. The state, appealing a lower-court ruling under the Americans with Disabilities Act, argues it should not have to obey the Act requiring access; that Congress had no right to pass the law since there was no real evidence that states discriminated against people with disabilities.

Since its 1990 passage, the ADA has been continually criticized by both state and local governments, by businesses, the media, and lawmakers as a "bad law". Ed

-Previous Awardees of the Foundation for Science and Disability Grants --Richard Mankin

I'm not the type to look back much, but someone asked recently if the Student Grants Committee had kept in touch with our recent awardees. The question spurred a peek back to see just how many of the previous awardees are still in our field of view.

I've been chair of the committee since 1997 and have kept up with those who have maintained email addresses. All of the awardees since 1998 have posted at least one update on our email list. Some, like Joe, Cassandra, Linda, and My Lien have given us several updates on their progress. However, students are a particularly mobile group. Not surprisingly, I have little clue about the whereabouts or activities of many of the awardees below:

1990 Wendy S. Pava, Birgit Wolz, Elaine Hall

1991 Kevin Wilkes, Shan Ming Lee

1992 Meghal R. Antani, Lynn Hanninen, Mara Frohlinger

1993 David Fass, William Hylton

1995? Chris Tromborg

1996 Anne-Michelle Singleton

1997. Leslie Harper
1998. Maura O’Modhrain
1999. Joseph Barbera
2000. Jennifer Last
2001. Cassandra Quave, Jenelle Dorner
2002. Linda Bolle, My Lien Nguyen
2003. Mark Woods

If a current member recognizes one of these winners, maybe you could ask them to drop us a quick note. Who knows, maybe it would be worthwhile to look up a few names on the Internet and see if we can regain contact?

Even without later contact, however, I suspect most of the awardees have benefited from these grants. My remembrances of being a student are fading fast, but I do remember not having enough cash to attend a conference or run the air conditioner or make long-distance calls. That's why I enjoy participating on the Grants Committee and reviewing each year's applications. This award is the Foundation's most important programs.

Editor's Note:: Several of our current members are past awardees. Please send us a note so awe can update this list. Thank you. Ed

Many advances have been made in accessibility and inclusions in the classroom in students with disabilities. It is now common for a student with a disability to enter college, take classes, go for an interview, get a job, etc. But often, once there, another form of exclusion becomes evident. Even when physical, biological, or intellectual obstacles are removed, other obstacles (discrimination, attitudes, ignorance, stereotyping, alienation etc.).

It is this latter realization in I once experienced which working at graduate college, which the it was clear in this context that the functional limitations of the person with a disability were taken care of but various "other" cultural / socio - forms of discrimination come to the forefront of the set of barriers to deal with. The abrupt reality that access and mitigation of life limitations alone do not result in equality.

Culture is a way of living and viewing the world that develops among a set of people who share similar experiences, values and concepts. Webster defines it as a complex of typical behavior or standardized social characteristics peculiar to a specific group, occupation, profession, sex, age, grade, or social class. Hence, there is most definitely a culture comprised of persons with disabilities that is different from that of the "mainstream" and other socio - cultures.

All persons share basic needs and most of the desires that make us human, but the day-to-day reality of living with a disability is difficult to grasp. Even when those without a disability in simulation exercises e.g., wearing a blind fold for a few hours, trying out crutches, using ear plugs, or wheelchairs, barely scrape the surface of the socio - cultured experiences of many persons with disabilities. Each disability, whether sensory, orthopedic, behavioral, intellectual, motor, etc., has its own unique set of "obstacles", limitations, experiences, and modifications that contribute to shaping a person’s perceptions and ways of living. The commonality that "bind" persons with disabilities together is that each has some type of limit in their life functions.

Even under the umbrella of the general term "Disability Culture" there are multiple sub-"units". Persons who were born with a disability have a different world view and experience back around than these who acquire the same disability later in life (e.g., pre-lingual vs. post - lingual onset of deafness for example). Likewise, persons who live in institutions will most probably have very different attitudes, perceptions, experiences, etc., than those raised by family members at home. Either way, persons with disabilities have a perspective that is a challenging alternative to the non-disabled "mainstream."

Members of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities generally share their minority status with their families. More than 14 percent of black students are in special education in the US, compared with 13 percent of American Indians, 12 percent of whites, 11 percent of Hispanics, and 5 percent of Asian-Americans This is in contrast to individuals with disabilities, where they generally share their minority status within a majority community. However, there is evidence that most children with disabilities function quite well in the non-disability, majority culture. During this time, the child’s parents usually search out and find adults with similar disabilities or disability support groups. All of these individuals tend to be the ones in the effective disability culture (Carol Gill, 1999. The Disability Messenger. Publ. PCEPD).

As the Internet has expanded and technology has provided access to more people with disabilities, on-line publishing, email, listserve, and web communication in general has flourished throughout the Disabled Community. Pages are filled with fresh, "edgy" art and poetry, radical literature, and literature that challenges traditional views of disability. Many of these insights are given by providing first-hand accounts of the author/artist’s who have disabilities. However, proportionally fewer persons with disabilities have access to computers. It has been an enlightening "door" to the differences between the outlooks, perception, productive outlets, etc. of members of the disability culture and the others, the "outsiders!"

NOTE: This was composed with a teaching view of this important problem!

• To be an effective teacher, it is important to understand how the backgrounds of students with disabilities can affect their relationships with both teachers and their classmates.

• Recall that assertive students are not necessarily more capable than less assertive students.

• Encourage ALL students equally..

• Monitor achievement on a regular basis, including participation in classroom discussions, experiments, etc., of all students but especially of students with disabilities.

• Make task assignments randomly or use a list of names and check them off after you ask a question.

• Offer help to any and all students when the material is difficult. Suggest after school help .

• Recognize effort as well as accomplishment.

• Respond fully to the comments of all students.

• Display flexibility in the context of a structured learning environment.

• Learn as much about students with disabilities as other students.

• Lead a science classroom discussion on stereotyping and the consequences of stereotyping for science achievement.

• Involve those who are not participating in science classroom discussions.

• Monitor achievement of all students especially students with disabilities on a regular basis.

• Follow-up on students expressing interest in enrolling in advanced science courses. Some disabled students often do not follow through due to anxiety or outside discouragement.

• Assist in the acceptance of the differences that students with disabilities bring to the science classroom.

• Make science relevant and useful for all students, but especially to students with disabilities.

• Permit students to bring life experiences into the science learning environment. All tend to perform best when content is related to previous experience.

• Devise science exercises and activities that foster success on the part of all students, especially those students with disabilities.

• Institute some science activities without grade assessment, which can help students (including students with disabilities) overcome initial anxiety.

• Have alternative assessment methods that are appropriate for students with disabilities.

• Recognize effort as well as accomplishment, especially for students with disabilities.

• Use computer technology for creative activities increases motivation and awareness of useful applications of science.

• Focus on activities designed to integrate skills into everyday experiences of students with disabilities.

• Take advantage of corporate programs, which provide speakers to encourage the interest of students with disabilities in science and technical careers.

• Encourage activity-based and hands-on programs for students with disabilities.

• Make students with disabilities aware that most jobs in the future will require strong mathematics, computer, and science skills.

• Encourage all students, including students with disabilities, to participate in all class activities.

• Recognize that cultural backgrounds may discourage some students from active participation in the science classroom.

• Include in your curricula biographical readings about professionals with disabilities in science fields.

• Present science as a subject that everyone can learn rather than as an elite and difficult subject.

• Motivate your students to solve a problem for the fun or it or the satisfaction of getting a right answer.

• Demand the same level of excellence from students with disabilities as from the traditional student.

• Allow students to select topics in some science study units. This offers additional opportunities for students to relate their backgrounds and their interests to science.

• Many students learn principles of science easier through discussion and exploration rather than by traditional lectures.

• Have activities which stress thought processes rather than exclusive reliance on single answer responses.

• Construct math/science word problems that are relevant to students. A personal health problem is more realistic to many students than an epidemiological problem.

• To design a curriculum model and instructional strategies appropriate for each student, professionals must understand the student’s individual and cultural characteristics.

• Multi-purpose and multi-level test batteries, instead of a single score or a small number of scores, can provide a more accurate picture of the range of a student’s intellectual ability.

• Efforts should be made to increase motivation and interest in testing by helping students with disabilities feel comfortable and at ease.

• Maintain participatory, dynamic, and spontaneous classrooms.

• Start classes on time.

• Classroom instruction should be designed to connect the content of a course with students’ backgrounds.

• Build a classroom atmosphere where differences are not neglected, but are explored and discussed.

• Help students set realistic and manageable goals based on the students’ abilities.

• Furnish the necessary resources to accomplish the above task.

• Help students with difficult problem-solving situations.

• Interact with all the students-not just a select few.

• Use visual aids for those who specifically need it as well as for others who learn better from those types of presentations.

• Provide opportunities for students with disabilities to interact.

• Intervene immediately should a fellow student disparage a student with a disability.

• Allow time for thought and reflection.

• Science course material should include references to people of different cultural groups.

• Use study materials that show individuals of different cultural backgrounds engaging in science activities and/or occupations.

• Give all students equal feedback opportunities.

• Make an equal effort to check science classroom work for all students.

• Teachers should examine their own behavior and assumptions on disability issues. Monitor your own use of disability-biased language.

• The difficulty of questions should be the same for all students.

• Try to schedule science courses so they do not conflict with electives that may be especially appealing to students with disabilities.

• Use "peer teaching" where appropriate and effective.

• When using group activities, such as lab work, assign each student a specific role. Keep a record of these roles and rotate students through the different roles.

• Encourage cooperation/development of a group feeling, encourage the class to think and work as a unit.

• Respond fully to the comments of all students, especially students with disabilities.

• Involve the students with disabilities who are not participating in science classroom discussions.

• Assist in the acceptance of the differences that students with disabilities bring to the science classroom.

• Permit students to bring life experiences into the science learning environment. All students tend to perform best when content is related to previous experience.

• Consider using upper grade level students with disabilities as tutors in computer-related and science technique assignments.

• Provide opportunities for students with disabilities to work cooperatively. (Consider small group assignments and projects).

• In order to illustrate a sense of community, ask each student to share with you and possibly with the class, what makes them unique as an individual.

• Make an effort to express appreciation when students with disabilities participate in class discussions.

• Observe and ask questions that show genuine caring and concern.

• Do not put too much pressure on time.

• Help to develop the student’s self-concept with appropriate praise. Early on, give assignments that the instructor thinks will be in the range of students’ experience.

• Promote relaxed communication.

• Show that you are really listening and interested in their ideas in group discussions and those of individuals.

• Make learning more of an interpersonal activity than goal oriented and impersonal.

• Show students that many times learning is gained from trial and error, rather than criticizing mistakes and failures.

• Use a warm and personal teaching style.

• Learn the non-verbal cues of students with disabilities then be sensitive to non-verbal cues.

• Allow a longer time for response after asking a question.

• Listen a lot, talk less.

• Use group problem solving to emphasize that the work is broadly group oriented rather than task oriented.

• Use deliberately diverse peer tutoring. Students boost their self-confidence by teaching each other and often the best tutors are those who have had difficulty and then finally understand. They are better able to understand the difficulties that another students may have and therefore be more patient with him/her.

• Equally call on students.

• Have patience with students when waiting for them to respond.

• Give direct eye contact, which is sincere and encouraging.

• Do not interrupt a student when he/she is talking.

• Do not criticize the students; use alternate explanation, etc.

• Be sure to give equal praise, encouragement, attention, and interest to the students with disabilities.

• Pay an equal amount of attention to all students.

• Expect the same amount of effort from students based primarily on their abilities.

• Cooperative learning groups equally divided have been promoted as a good way to bring about positive attitudes toward instruction, mastery of content, and increased self-esteem.

• Having very clear rules of conduct for groups is very helpful.

• Follow-up on students expressing interest in enrolling in advanced science classes.

• Remember that many students learn principles of science easier through exploration and discussion rather than by traditional lecture

• Invite role models who are disabled to give talks and/or demonstrations.

• Consider using upper grade level students with disabilities as tutors in computer related and science technique assignments.

• Establish in-service science training programs especially including teachers who have students that have disabilities.

• Recommend subscriptions to science magazines.

• Encourage participation and make students with disabilities aware of out-of-school activities in science, such as junior science academy, summer science programs, or science fairs.

• Take field trips in the local community. This will allow students to observe applications of science and technical skills in living and work settings.

• Build science skills into the curriculum.

• Emphasize the writing process approach rather than a grammar-based sub-skills method to writing instruction.

• Assist students in integrating and synthesizing new material into their prior knowledge and experience.

• Provide time for practice before expecting performance.

• Value the student’s background and provide additional experience. The things a student of a different background will know through his/her experience may not be what you expect, making much of your material meaningless to them unless you recognize this and provide additional background as needed.

• Bring into the classroom, science role models, doing experiments.

• Distribute leadership roles equally among all students.

• Encourage different approaches to problem solving and experimental design.

• Enforce equal interactions and expectations for all students, thereby providing the same opportunities for participation in all experiments.

• Institute leadership science experiences without grade assessment, this can help students more easily overcome initial anxiety.

• Make science experiments relevant and useful experiential for all students.

• Have students bring life experiences into the experimental science learning environment.

• Focus a large portion of the activities designed to integrate science skills into everyday experiences of students with disabilities.

• Take field trips in the local community. This will allow students to observe experimental applications of science and technical skills in living and work settings. Emphasize science skills used by workers with disabilities.

• Encourage activity-based and hands-on programs for students with disabilities

• Establish in-service science training programs especially including teachers having students with disabilities.

• Draw upon cultural experiences of the child and family to include disability cultural perspectives in the curriculum.

• Encourage and help administrators recruit science students and faculty with disabilities.

• Urge faculty sponsors of computer science, and (say) chess clubs etc. to recruit students with disabilities.

• A teaching institution, whether it is at the primary or college level must develop a more positive attitude about the potential of diverse students.

• Bring to the attention of school officials any policies or procedures that inadvertently penalize certain races, cultures, sexes, or persons with disabilities.

• Eliminate all culturally insensitive reading materials and tests.

• Allow students to engage in activities that will enhance their appreciation of the cultural strengths of all diverse groups including disabilities.

• Provide adequate counseling and support services when appropriate.

• Establish in-service science training programs in equity issues including those with disabilities.

• Use computers for more than drill exercises for all students. (Access to computer technology for creative activities increases motivation and awareness of useful applications of science.)

• Ensure that scientists with disabilities are portrayed in scientific and technical careers (e.g., posters in classroom).

• Incorporate the historical and contemporary contributions of scientists with disabilities in the science curriculum.

• Talk with students and explain about textbooks that create or perpetuate stereotypes based on disability, minority, or sexual status and their effects on learning and career choice.

• Science course material should include references to people from different cultural groups, including the disability culture status.

• Use study materials that show individuals from different cultural groups engaging in science activities or occupations.

• Furnish all students with updated information on careers in science.

• Make use of a broad range of professional organizations for career motivational materials and appropriate role models.

• Display classroom posters on the contributions of persons/students with disabilities in science and technical fields.

• Draw upon cultural experiences of the child and family to include authentic cultural perspectives in the curriculum, including the disability culture.

• Use a variety of teaching methods to insure that all students’ learning styles are being met, for example:

• Use visuals and provide students with a list of materials they could use individually to supplement their course work.

• Group work

• Build on what students already know

• Use lecture outlines, blackboards and overheads

• Connect lessons with examples from the "real world"

• Screen textbooks and materials for accurate representations and accuracy, e.g. are the textbooks only representative on blonde-haired, blue-eyed non-disabled Anglo-Saxons?

• Develop glossaries for chapters students are having trouble with and provide tasks which will allow them to incorporate the new vocabulary.

• Develop instructional materials that are related to student experience and present students with problem assignments that relate to their backgrounds.

• Provide visual learning aids and good descriptive information, especially for new or difficult materials.

• Make instruction multi-sensory, relevant, and active, which can cut across cultural barriers (including the disability culture) so students have several means and opportunities to absorb information and can tie ideas and concepts to the concrete experiences.

• Help parents of students to understand their role in encouraging their children’s interest in science (e.g., establish parent workshops on supporting and encouraging children’s interests in science).

• Plan a parents’ night on science careers. (This should portray students and or scientists with disabilities in science fields in which they traditionally have been underrepresented.)

• Establish workshops for parents to support and to encourage their children’s interest in science.

• Parental and family involvement is critical to a disabled student’s academic achievement.

• The role a parent should play in their children’s education encompasses more than just helping their child at home. Teachers must believe that parent involvement is needed for a school to be effective and then include parents in the following activities as:

• Classroom tutors, helpers and field trip volunteers.

• Members of school decision making boards that execute decisions that influence students.

• Do not use negative words to describe family structures such as "dysfunctional families." Such labels are degrading, demeaning, and opinion based.

• Respect parents by viewing them as capable individuals, and this, in turn, will enhance the home-school partnership.

• It is the teacher’s responsibility to make the first contact with a student’s parents, and this contact should be a positive one, not the first time when something is wrong.

• Teachers should call student’s parents early in the year and introduce themselves to the parent, sharing positive aspects of the student and favorable expectations.

• When talking to the parents, build on the student’s strengths and special qualities, also this is a time to find out more about your student.

• Don’t be hypocritical, by saying positive things to a parent about their child, but then acting in a negative manner towards the student in class.

• Share information with parents; this builds trust and strengthens the home-school bond.

• Meet the parents and show them what you are doing and how it relates to everyday life and the community.

• Attend community functions and cultural events so students and parents see that you are interested. Then is class, show students how the material relates to their life outside of school. Make instruction relevant to their present day life.

• Discuss career opportunities with students having disabilities.

• Ensure that scientists with disabilities are portrayed in scientific and technical careers (e.g., posters in classroom).

• Furnish all students with updated information on careers in science.

• Give students with disabilities special encouragement to participate in science-related activities, and to create opportunities–both inside and outside of school.

• Invite science role models who are inspirational, to present or demonstrate to the class.

• Recognize that cultural disability backgrounds may discourage some students from active participation in the science classroom.

• It is important to understand how the backgrounds of students with disabilities can affect their relationships with both teachers and their classmates.

• Many students are sensitive to and responsive to what others feel and think and consider how their actions might affect others.

• Many students respond better to rewards such as praise, smiles, pats on the back, and the like.

• Identify and emphasize positive values.

• Promote relaxed communication with students with disabilities. Students need to be able to ask questions without hesitation and feel that they can discuss class work or problems freely and without emotional upset.

• Do no single out only one student for praise, criticism, recitation, etc.

• Help students to eliminate prejudice by discussing with them how minorities, gender, and students with disabilities are portrayed on TV and in books, and how the different portrayal may lead to prejudice.

• In personal interactions, be very sensitive to non-verbal cues.

• Show that you are really listening and interested in the ideas of the students.

• Resiliency is the ability to thrive, mature, and increase competence in the face of adverse circumstances or obstacles.

• Students who are resilient must draw upon all resources: biological, psychological, cultural, and environmental. Schools are a valuable environmental resource that can also affect the psychological resource. Schools can promote resiliency through these four methods:

• Increase the student’s self-esteem

• Stop the negative chain of events

• Provide an alternate route to success

• Remove that stressor.

• Lead a classroom discussion on stereotyping and the consequences of stereotyping for science achievement.

• Talk with students about textbooks that create or perpetuate stereotypes based on sex, culture, and the biases that can result in influencing learning and career choice.

• Assist in the acceptance of the differences that students bring to the science classroom.

• Labels and stereotyping are damaging because they produce false expectations that are both damaging and suppressive. Examples of stereotypical labels are: economically disadvantaged, culturally deprived, or under-privileged dysfunctional family. Each individual and situation is unique and can’t be generically grouped.

• Do not use stereotypical and negative labels.

• Do not be affected by first impressions; do not be influenced by the initial performance of a student.

• Discover a student’s ability by looking past their physical attraction, gender, disability, and race.

• Do not hold class or family status/income as a determining factor of a student’s potential, and don’t hold it against them.

• Teachers must learn about each student’s background, but also work to get beyond the stereotyping which affects expectations or student performance.

I am sometimes concerned by the use of the generic term "disability," the root is troubling (i.e., non-or no ability). In "plain language it does not denote inability. Today I learned that Pregnancy is a disability. I kid you not! My former student, who is pregnant could not get insurance coverage unless she had a " short term disability" the new bureaucratic term for pregnancy! The "disability" term however, sets the stage for any interaction thereafter. Stereotypes, biases, and misconceptions leap into one’s mind. The stage is set and the cards are stacked against that "D" individual. Is every difference in sensory, motor ability, etc. a "disability"? For example: I was in my wheelchair at lunch in the Commons Gallaydett Univ. where most of the individuals in the room were deaf. I was probably the only person who did not know sign language. The rest were all communicating easily. I was the only one left out of the communication "loop." So who is the "outsider" in this scenario? Disabled, yes, but not a member of the "in residence" culture. In a place where everyone signs, door bells and fire alarms blink, and spoken language is essentially unwanted and generally unnecessary, noises are unusual, but so what! To the outsiders, the lack of noise in these crowded areas is "deafening." Is deafness a disability or just a difference? Probably both. There were two clearly defined sub-sets of "The Disability Culture" in the Commons that day; it all depends on the context.

In viewing disability as a difference, it is easier to see how a culture can develop among people sharing a common factor(s) that differs from those without disabilities. Examples of this are found among the deaf community, where the ability to hear is often not desired. Sometimes individuals who are deaf will reject the "cure" of medical intervention (say, the cochlear implants). Pride in Deaf Culture is enormous, American Sign Language (ASL) is considered the native language, and the teaching of ASL is linking one generation of individuals of this unique culture to the next. A similar dichotomy, but in another sensory system, exists in the blind sub-culture in which audio is essential and the visual senses are not, nor are they welcomed. Members of the disability "community" provoke the same type of response that racial, religious, gender, etc. groups receive. The U.S. Congress recognized this when it included persons with disabilities in their "hate crimes" legislation.

Your comments, short articles, announcements, etc. of interest to the membership are welcome.