Accessible Science Kits

To encourage teachers to make science labs and activities accessible to all students, AccessSTEM staff created accessible science kits for AccessSTEM partner schools—BC, SCCC, UW, and Seattle Public Schools (SPS). To develop the kits, project staff researched the needs of students with various disabilities in science labs and then purchased products that ensure accommodations to these students. The kits bring awareness about the diversity of student abilities and learning styles in the classroom, promote universal design, and suggest ways to accommodate individual needs. The kits include the following items:

• magnetic stirrer
• talking weight scale
• butterfly life cycle manipulation kit
• non-slip mat
• large display talking calculator
• talking reading pen
• talking color teller
• talking tape measure
• audio/tactile liquid level indicators
• Braille geometric set
• dual countdown vibrating timer
• Braille labeler

For information on how to create your own accessible science kit and find sources for accessible products, visit www.washington.edu/doit/accessible-science-equipment. For more information on making accommodations in your science lab, visit www.washington.edu/doit/making-science-labs-accessible-students-disabilities.