Rate My Professor Natalie L. Shaheen

Natalie L. Shaheen is an associate professor at Illinois State University, jointly appointed in the Department of Special Education and the School of Teaching and Learning. She earned a Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology from Towson University between 2013 and 2018. Shaheen's research centers on K-12 technology accessibility, with a particular emphasis on creating born accessible STEM learning environments for blind and low-vision students. As the principal investigator of the A11y in Sci project, she received a National Science Foundation CAREER award totaling just over $1.5 million in 2024. This five-year grant supports efforts to improve the long-term accessibility of technology-mediated high school science classes by developing case libraries from her prior qualitative research, creating professional development modules for in-service and pre-service teachers, and producing open educational resources for university faculty and school districts. The initiative also builds mentorship pipelines from postdoctoral scholars to undergraduate research assistants, aiming to disrupt systemic ableism and ensure equitable access to STEM education and careers for disabled youth. Shaheen's personal experiences as a blind individual who encountered inaccessible high school chemistry instruction inform her commitment to transforming educational practices.

Prior to her associate professor role, to which she was promoted in 2025, Shaheen served as an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at Illinois State University. Her career also includes serving as Director of Education at the National Federation of the Blind, where she developed STEM and Braille programs, and teaching K-12 blind and disabled students in charter schools, urban public schools, and residential settings. She has been recognized with Illinois State University's Research Initiative Award and the NSF CAREER grant, the largest awarded to a single faculty member in her department in 25 years. Key publications include "Disability, Learning, and Education: A Guidebook" (2024, co-authored with Emily Ruvoli, Weather Moore, Erin Kaniewski, and Mia Ratajczak), "Exploring Blind and Low-Vision Youth’s Digital Access Needs in School: Toward Accessible Instructional Technologies" (2024), and "Blind and Low-Vision Students as Surveyors of In/Accessibility in Technology-Mediated Formal Education" (2025). Through these contributions, Shaheen influences teacher preparation, policy enactment for equitable access, and the broader field of special education by advocating for proactive accessibility in technology-mediated learning.