Professional Bio

Jean Balutanski oversees MarshAccess at the Meadowlands Environment Center which provides accessible environmental education programming for people with disabilities. She is the Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation Adult Marsh Access grant, a project that will identify and test appropriate assistive technologies and programmatic approaches engaging adults from specific disability groups in outdoor field-based experiences in order to better support their engagement, to foster participants’ interest in science and to improve participants’ scientific literacy. Ms. Balutanski currently teaches the graduate course "Introduction to Assistive Technology" in the Masters of Science in Educational Technology program at Ramapo College.




Ms. Balutanski first started working with assistive technology and the accessibility of educational programs while serving as a Supervisory Rehabilitation Counselor at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center in New York City. Prior to coming to the MEC, she served as the Director of the Office of Specialized Services at Ramapo College of New Jersey which is a disability services office providing support to over 250 students. She has Masters degrees from New York University and Fordham University, and certificates in Assistive Technology Leadership (California State University – Northridge) and Accessible Information Technology (EASI – University of Southern Maine). Ms. Balutanski is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and holds teaching certificates in special education and educational supervision.

Expertise & Interest Descriptors

Making science accessible for people with disabilities, increasing the inclusion of K-12 students with disabilities in science classes, assistive technologies for science and computer activities, increasing disability awareness in the science community, accessible design of electronic information such as websites, PowerPoint presentations, software, courseware

Planned Conference Participation

Attending :: ISE PI Summit 2008
25 - 26 July 2008