Photo provided by Kim Fischer
NORMAL, Ill. – Kim Fischer was awarded the Spring 2023 Campus Hero Award for her research and writing. She is focused on better understanding technology access, use and support for youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Fischer is the recipient of the provost innovation grant, Digital Citizenship, the IEP and Instruction: Training for Preservice Special Education Teachers, which will help prepare special educators to support youth and IDD to become digital citizens. She received a University Research Grant from Illinois State called, “Who’s connected to whom, and how do we measure it?”
In college, she decided that educating would be her lifelong career. She worked for the Champaigns Special Recreation Park District. After working closely with adults, she realized that she wanted to continue to work with people who have disabilities.
“Teaching is a great way that I can continue to work with people with disabilities. You don’t necessarily have to leave the field, so that’s why I wanted to become an educator,” Fischer said.
According to Fischer, her main job is to prepare educators to be inclusive educators. She prepares primarily general education teachers like physics, chemistry, social sciences, arts, theater and other subjects to be an inclusive educator. Fischer gives ideas to students on how they can set up their future classrooms so that those with or without disabilities can succeed.
When Fischer returned to college for her Master’s Degree, she was presented with an opportunity that became a passion. She went to the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and part of her assistantship was working in the Assisted Technology Unit.
She said, “I learned about assisted technology and inclusive technology that can help people with disabilities live, learn, work, and play.” Specifically, Computers and Controls helped Fischer understand how to make and control a personal environment with technology.
“My assistantship in my graduate program really got me connected to how it [technology] can be useful in education,” she said. “When kids are educated together in inclusive environments from very engaged all the way through highschool, they’re much more likely to be inclusive citizens when they become adults.”
“It not only benefits the kids currently, but it benefits society long term,” she said.
Fischer expressed her hopes that these students will create inclusive environments now and later in the future.