ISLAND

ISLAND 2026 Announcements

The Inclusion in Science, Learning A New Direction, Conference on Disability will be held virtually on Monday, August 31, Tuesday, September 1, and Wednesday, September 2^nd  2026 between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM EDT on these three consecutive days. The call for abstracts for presentations is now open and can be submitted by going to https://islandconference.org/island-2026-abstract-submissions/.

Abstracts are due by July 1, 2026 with presenters to be notified by July 15, 2026. We have a limited number of spaces for presentation and all submissions will be reviewed by a panel of science access experts. We want to thank everyone in advance for your interest in presenting at the 2026 ISLAND conference. On-line registration will open for this year’s conference on April 1, 2026 and will be free if pre-registration is completed by August 15 at 11:59 PM EDT.

Please be sure to check back as the conference nears for final program and other details.

The ISLAND conference serves as a forum for access technology developers, science educators, rehabilitation professionals, and educational researchers to network and share their experiences with how they have promoted the inclusion of persons with disabilities into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields of study. Come and learn what is being done to promote inclusion in the STEM classroom for students with disabilities. The organizers of the 17^th annual ISLAND conference are looking forward to seeing everyone virtually at this year’s conference where we will learn about new cutting edge and innovative new methodologies, technologies, and hear how science educators are shifting the paradigm for science access for all.

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Thank you for making
ISLAND 2025 a success!

The 16th annual ISLAND Conference
was held Friday, September 26
and Saturday, September 27 at
The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment,
Princeton University
91 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ

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Mission Statement

The Inclusion in Science Learning: a New Direction Conference on Disability seeks to raise expectations and showcase technical and methodological solutions on what is possible in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for people with disabilities. Symposium topics explore factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of people with disabilities in the STEM pipeline and the STEM ecosystem, and strategies for them to access, survive, and thrive in this critical area of the world’s economies.

At ISLAND, we believe it is through education that we will reach the hearts and minds of the public on what is possible for people with disabilities, and remove barriers to access.

ISLAND presentations intend to drive innovation in pedagogy and methodology while informing and connecting a community of scholars and educators to the latest technological interventions and methodological innovations ranging from simple access solutions for inclusive learning to multisensory and hands-on approaches are emphasized.

Since its founding in 2010 the ISLAND conference has served as a forum for conference attendees to meet, network, and collaborate to reshape the future of science access for students with disabilities. Originally organized and operated by scientists with disabilities with a common mission to make the subject they loved more accessible and inclusive, ISLAND has grown to embrace a tapestry of non-disabled partners that have expressed a strong commitment for the full inclusion of persons with disabilities into the STEM professions. All interested individuals and organizations are welcome to participate in ISLAND.

The ISLAND organizers hope that your participation is rewarding and fulfilling. For us, the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the STEM professions is more than a commitment or passion – it is a calling. We are active in promoting the full and authentic inclusion of persons with disabilities within the scientific community through other professional societies and organizations of scientists. I invite you to join our community of research and practice as we continue to strengthen the STEM professions through the inclusion of people with disabilities.

Cary Supalo, PhD, MBA
Founder and Chair, ISLAND conference

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The ISLAND 2025 conference was made possible through the generous support of its sponsors:

• The Princeton Center for Complex Materials
• Princeton University’s Campus Conversations
• Princeton University Office of Information Technology
• Independence Science