Expanding Access for Disabled Geoscientists
Gabi Serrato Marks, PhD
LDEO BPE Seminar, Feb. 15th, 2021
Why I care about accessibility in geoscience
PhD in David McGee’s lab at MIT, 2020
Fieldwork: caving in Mexico
Became disabled in grad school
Disability is more common than you might think...
26% of US adults (1 in 4) have a disability (CDC, pre-COVID)
Disability is more common than you might think...
… but we’re dramatically underrepresented in STEM.
26% of US adults (1 in 4) have a disability (CDC, pre-COVID)
The geoscience workforce is the least diverse of all STEM disciplines (Huntoon et al., 2015)
75% fewer disabled people in the STEM workforce than in the general population (Hutchinson and Libarkin, 2016)
Disability 101
What is a disability?
Anything that impacts your ability to work, learn, and/or take care of yourself.
Mobility
Sensory
Mental health
Illness
Neurological
Learning
“This is only a small group of people”
Pregnancy
Torn ACL, shin splints
Concussion
Grieving
Food poisoning
Sore from running a marathon
Didn’t sleep last night
Lots of people might need accommodations
COVID Survivors
Physical symptoms
Mental health impacts
Not disabled
Disabled
This is how we’re taught, but it’s not this simple.
Normal
able-bodied
Handicapped
Handicapable
Differently-abled
Special needs
Sufferer
Language to avoid
Not disabled
Disabled
This is how we’re taught, but it’s not this simple.
disabled
Not disabled
Even this spectrum is an oversimplification
Our bodies, our minds, our differences, are not a problem.
Academia was not designed for us.
disabled
Not disabled
deaf
hard-of-hearing
hearing
Deaf
Diagnosis is different from identity
depression
depression
depression
depression
Disability is just one facet of identity
you
“I want to do better, but I don’t even know what to Google.”
Creating more inclusive environments starts with better understanding.
Use this seminar as a starting point
Why should we improve accessibility?
“In an ideal world, this would be where I say that diversity is necessary for scientific innovation and make the logical leap that it’s therefore important to include the perspectives of disabled scientists. But we’ve been making this argument for years and still haven’t successfully diversified the scientific workforce. So, instead I’ll argue that making labs more accessible is actually beneficial for everyone involved.”
Krystal Vasquez, Chemistry World
Expanding access
How can you design solutions that work with so many different disabilities?
Universal Design
Universal design in the classroom, video call, lab, and field
simple and intuitive: communicate clearly
perceptible information: provide information in many ways
low physical effort: focus on learning/doing, not endurance
a community of learners: collaboration
instructional climate: respect and appreciate differences
Make it easier for anyone to understand your research
Take turns speaking in meetings or panels
Turn on auto-generated captions in presentations
Use large font in presentations, figures, posters
Check your colors for color vision differences and contrast
Add alt text on social media posts, documents, presentations
Share 3 key points for papers and presentations
Make slides available for download during presentation (okay) or ahead of time (better)
EASY
MEDIUM
CHALLENGE
Make it easier for anyone to understand your research
Take turns speaking in meetings or panels
Turn on auto-generated captions in presentations
Use large font in presentations, figures, posters
Check your colors for color vision differences and contrast
Add alt text on social media posts, documents, presentations
Share 3 key points for papers and presentations
Make slides available for download during presentation (okay) or ahead of time (better)
EASY
MEDIUM
CHALLENGE
Color theory is just one part of accessible design
Ocular migraine simulation, migraine aura
Color theory is just one part of accessible design
Ocular migraine simulation, migraine aura
Make lab more comfortable for everyone
Chairs or stools!
Fume hoods or benches with space for knees
Windows to the hallway
Adjustable lighting
Designing a new lab or building? It’s easier to design for access from the start than to find workarounds.
Fieldwork doesn’t have to involve suffering
Nope:
Excluded from trips (“optional”)
“Real geologists love hiking”
Yes:
Focus on learning goals or research objectives
Work in groups (mixed ability)
Flexibility
What about cruises? Polar research?
“Guidelines are not published so as not to encourage individuals to focus on specific guidelines and ignore other important aspects of overall health as recommended by their physicians” - NSF Panel, 2013
Addressing everyday ableism
What would you do?
An undergraduate takes the elevator from the first floor to the second floor. A faculty member rolls her eyes and says, “Too busy to walk, I guess.”
Your labmate says, “This experiment is going to give me PTSD.”
At a conference, a fellow panelist says, “I have a loud voice. We don’t need the mic.”
Steps to take today:
Take turns speaking in meetings or panels
Turn on auto-generated captions in presentations
Use large font in presentations, figures, posters
Resources - feel free to screenshot!
The International Association for Geoscience Diversity, theiagd.org
Adobe Color Accessibility Tools, color.adobe.com/create/color-accessibility
Writing alternative text: webaim.org/techniques/alttext
Reading list with more articles and guides: http://bit.ly/dis-reading
Thank you!
gserratomarks@gmail.com