Our Mission
“Through the development of these innovative access technologies, we can truly level the playing field for students who are blind or low vision in the science classroom and hopefully encourage an interest in STEM career paths. I feel that the work of Independence Science 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 or she aspires to achieve."
At seven years old, Cary Supalo lost his eyesight. In the following years his adaptation to new skills and unknown surroundings sparked his curiosity in our environment and why things are the way they are. Cary first developed an interest in science at his high school in Bolingbrook, Illinois and pursued his studies at Purdue University where he graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Communications in 1999.
Cary then furthered his studies at Penn State University where he obtained his Master’s Degree in Inorganic Chemistry. During research for his degree completion, he found that “sighted assistance” was an extremely variable and unreliable method for accurate, objective data collection. With this realization and the work of the ILAB (Independent Laboratory Access for the Blind) Project resources, the development of a method for him and every blind student to successfully access and independently collect real- time data was formed.
Learn how our technology empowers students of all ages who are blind, low vision, and print disabled to gain a hands-on, multi-sensory experience in classrooms and laboratories.