The Inclusion in Science Learning A New Direction (ISLAND) conference on disability and STEM provides a forum to address how persons with disabilities can be more fully integrated into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The ISLAND conference attendees seek to shift the paradigm of science access for all learners.

Persons with disabilities are often prohibited from full participation in the STEM subject areas due to misconceptions leading to lack of opportunities in STEM courses. Further, employers and advanced degree programs may be skeptical about the capabilities of a person with a disability and their ability to compete on equal terms with their non-disabled counterparts. Persons with disabilities have to problem solve to overcome their physical and/or cognitive limitations throughout their lives. Therefore, the more methodological and technological innovations that can be designed and disseminated in a forum such as the ISLAND conference serves to promote a community of practice for STEM educators to learn how a more inclusive and equitable STEM learning experience may be made possible.