In technician education, biology serves as a gateway course for students interested in technical fields such as agricultural technology, biotechnology, and environmental sciences where the deaf/hh population is underrepresented.  Improving biology education practices for deaf/hh students has the potential to increase their participation by engaging them at the introductory biology level and lowering barriers to technical career education tracks.  
 
This conference will offer a focused, immersive professional development experience for high school teachers, community college faculty, and interpreters involved in teaching life sciences to deaf/hh students.  We will focus on using case studies, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, and the challenges and opportunities of teaching with a visual language - American Sign Language (ASL) to enhance student success in biology. 

1. technician education