Kristin Jean Grender

Kristin Jean Grender is an award-winning educator and advocate dedicated to making STEM and broader education fully accessible for students with visual impairments. With over 20 years of experience, she serves as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Orientation & Mobility Specialist at CESA #2 in Wisconsin, reaching students across multiple rural and suburban districts that would otherwise lack access to vision services. Kristin’s work spans classroom teaching, graduate-level teacher preparation, community outreach, and pioneering research in accessible science. 

A recognized innovator, Kristin has led projects such as iDATA (Innovators Developing Accessible Tools for Astronomy), Afterglow Access, and the STEM Accessibility Accelerator, creating inclusive pathways into STEM and astronomy for blind and low-vision learners. She co-authored the astronomy chapter in the upcoming textbook Accessible Science and conducted Zero-Gravity research to explore sound localization for students with visual impairments, demonstrating that accessibility can extend even into space. 

Kristin’s students benefit from a hands-on, inquiry-based approach grounded in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC), encompassing skills from braille literacy and assistive technology to independent living and social-emotional learning. Her innovative teaching fosters confidence, independence, and lifelong learning, producing measurable outcomes such as improved literacy, STEM engagement, and student self-advocacy. Several of her students have gone on to pursue higher education in science and technology fields. 

Beyond her classroom, Kristin elevates the teaching profession through mentorship, graduate-level instruction, and the development of statewide and national resources, including Wisconsin’s first Braille Reading Standards and best-practice guidelines for educators supporting students with disabilities. She has been recognized as a Bright Spot by the Council for Exceptional Children, awarded the Top 100 Teachers Across America by the Walt Disney Company (2023), received the Herb Kohl Fellowship for Teaching Excellence (2017), and honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (2019). 

Kristin’s commitment extends to her community, where she organizes White Cane Day celebrations, develops braille-labeled school gardens, leads adaptive sports programs, and volunteers with the Lions Club and Lions Camp for the Blind. Her work empowers students, engages families, and fosters inclusive communities while promoting empathy and awareness. 

Through innovation, advocacy, and unwavering dedication, Kristin Grender transforms the lives of students, redefines possibilities for learners with visual impairments, and demonstrates the power of accessibility and inclusion in education.