Tucson Standard

When Steve Kortenkamp began teaching astronomy at the University of Arizona in 2007, he encountered an unexpected challenge. "The first opportunity that I had to teach at the university in front of a class, one of my students was blind. And that, for me, was a big challenge," he said. With limited resources available for visually impaired students, Kortenkamp adapted his curriculum using audio aids and simplified graphics.

This experience shifted his perspective on teaching and led to a collaboration with Sunggye Hong from the College of Education. Hong is dedicated to making STEM education accessible for all students. "I'm totally blind due to congenital glaucoma," Hong explained, noting that science was not a common field for visually impaired individuals like himself.

In 2019, with funding from the National Science Foundation, Kortenkamp and Hong developed a new curriculum designed to assist visually impaired middle and high school students interested in astronomy. The project involved 33 students nationwide who participated in asynchronous online classes and received tactile tools such as braille materials and 3D-printed kits.

"They could – by touching – feel a square peg and a square hole, and assemble them," Kortenkamp described. Students also created videos teaching others using their models. Mentorship played a crucial role; each student was paired with both a U of A science student and a professional in STEM who was visually impaired.

"We wanted to help them understand that they could work in a field that maybe at first they didn't think they had a chance to," said Kortenkamp. The program included virtual shadowing opportunities and campus visits in Tucson.

Hong noted the positive impact: "The data clearly showed that the students were indeed much more closely engaged in science." Many participants are now pursuing higher education programs.

Beyond benefiting students, the program educated scientists about the needs of visually impaired learners. "It's not just for visually impaired students to learn about science," Hong stated.

Kortenkamp reflected on his journey: "I would have never really thought about this kind of stuff if I hadn't encountered that first student." He envisions expanding their ideas into broader programs at universities, offering science classes tailored for visually impaired or non-science students alike.