About Us
Early Years
President and Founder of Independence Science Cary Supalo lost his eyesight when he was seven years old. The years he spent learning new skills and adapting to unknown surroundings sparked his curiosity. He has always had an interest in the environment and why things are the way they are. He first developed an interest in science at his high school in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Upon graduation, he pursued his studies at Purdue University where he graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Communications in 1999. He then went on for graduate work at PSU where he obtained his Masters in Inorganic Chemistry.
Research and Development
After his graduate work he gained a passion for developing tools and technologies to assist persons who are blind or low vision (BLV) that would assist them in the science laboratory so that they could enjoy a more hands-on laboratory experience. He wanted to encourage students who are BLV to shift from a passive learning role to a more hands-on and engaging learning experience. Through his work as project manager with Independent Laboratory Access for the Blind (ILAB) he conducted research to determine the effectiveness of access technologies in the science laboratory.
Consulting Services
Today Mr. Supalo is making his expertise available to school districts, colleges and universities and state rehabilitation agencies across the country to help them meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements in the science curriculum. These technologies are being made available through Independent Sciences to further serve as a dissemination tool to benefit any blind and low vision student in the United States.
Personal Belief
“Through the development of these innovative access technologies, we can truly level the playing field for students who are BLV in the science classroom and hopefully encourage more BLV students to have an interest in STEM career paths. I feel that the work of Independent Sciences is helping to create a more barrier-free learning environment for students who are BLV in science classrooms nationwide. My experience with developing these access technologies has taught me that blindness need not be a barrier in the pursuit of one's ambitions to achieve whatever goals he/she aspires to achieve." - Founder and President of Independent Sciences, Cary Supalo