Megan Lynch (she/her)How you know I'm both disabled and old:
I was wiped from Day 2 of this conference by halfway through the day
It ended late, around 7pm, and I'm certain many will be out having dinner and partying, and up and at 'em again early tomorrow.
Accessibility +s at the conference:
- food breaks always had a gluten-free "special diets" table.
- food/coffee breaks outdoors (useful for COVID caution, although that wasn't likely the intention).
- Two presenters presented via Zoom (and were shown the audience while doing so).
Accessibility -s at the conference:
A lot, but no more than the average academic conference I've attended so I won't drag them individually for it.
This is a typical inspiration porn new story. All the abled people around her were telling her she couldn't do it. Because it's more important for the system to remain inaccessible than to make institutions that meet the realities of human life.
The inspiration is that she didn't listen to them. But it SHOULD inspire abled educators & admin to change themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaTKadQsQqE #DisabledAndSTEM #AcademicChatter #Disability #Ableism
Florida Atlantic University graduate defies odds to achieve engineering dream
@compoundchem Just reporting on how the scheduling app handled the alt text. Each image has the same image description, which means screenreader users will have to listen to the same thing twice.
It makes me wonder what the app set as the upper character limit for their alt text field.
Thanks for posting. #DisabledAndSTEM
@compoundchem Perhaps it is a mistake, but these images are missing alt text & image description for accessibility. #DIsabledAndSTEM
The scientist who broke her brain and woke up in another world
Many of the disabled scientists you hear about were disabled once they'd already gone through school, gotten their degrees, and established a career. This is because STEM is full of gatekeeping even for abled people, but enormous barriers for disabled people on top of that.
The scientist who broke her brain and woke up in another world
Megan Lynch (she/her)Even if you're not disabled, it can be a nice luxury to not have to worry about balance at all. Not just when you're riding, but when you're still. With an added rack, you can make a quadricycle into a mobile work platform for outdoor fieldwork, for example. Useful for me as a disabled horticultural scientist. #BikeTooter #Accessibility #DisabledAndSTEM
It's not that hard to make things accessible, particularly if you do highest common denominator accessible as just a regular part of doing things instead of treating it as some "special needs" BS that you only do when someone jumps hoops to make an official request. Please make the effort.
I have attended many times and it was one of the most valuable courses I took at UC Davis because of the vigorous discussion and probing questions asked during each presentation. #DisabledAndSTEM
There's a large group of folks who do not identify as disabled (despite experiencing symptoms consistent with disability and barriers consistent with ableism), often because of stigma and internalized ableism.
https://www.rsc.org/policy-and-campaigning/science-culture/disability-in-the-chemical-sciences #DisabledAndSTEM #Chemistry @disability
