People with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the U.S. While STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) might seem open to everyone, in reality, stigma and discrimination often keep people with disabilities from fully participating and succeeding in the STEM workforce.

To tackle this issue, the planning committee for “Beyond Compliance: Promoting the Success of People with Disabilities in the STEM Workforce,” organized a hybrid national leadership summit and a series of virtual workshops, all funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and supported by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. This event aimed to dive into the challenges around accessibility and inclusivity in STEM workplaces.

Over the course of five days, dozens of panelists shared their personal and professional experiences with ableism and the barriers they face in the STEM workforce. They also highlighted some positive examples of mentorship and efforts to build truly inclusive environments in STEM education, labs, private companies, and professional development settings.

The document highlights several stories for people with disabilities and their lived experiences in STEM careers. I think these stories might be my favorite part of the document. Here is a quote relating the current struggle with disrupting ableism compared to the women’s movement in STEM fields.

There is a realization that if science does not pull in the full
talents of everyone—women, underrepresented minorities, and people with
disabilities—“we certainly aren’t going to remain a science powerhouse.”
McNutt added that she was old enough to remember when “as a woman
studying physics in college, [she] was as rare as someone with a disability
in a physics lab,” as well as the negative assumptions that were being made
about her.

“Fast-forward to today and we find women in research labs of all disciplines and places all over the world, and it is no longer an anomaly,” McNutt said. “We have to imagine that same future for people with disabilities.” Disability inclusion has not been addressed head-on, but she said she was “hoping that this meeting will be a launchpad for all of us to take that more seriously.”

Below is a link to the free National Academies report titled Disrupting Ableism and Advancing STEM: Promoting the Success for People with Disabilities in the STEM Workforce. At the link you will be able to download the FREE document and/or read it online.

Click HERE to access the report and learn more about it.