A duty to accessible science

The IOP (Institute of Physics) is to hold a free one-day conference exploring the barriers to disabled students in the sciences. This is very much an aspirational event, “aiming to kick things off and find out what people need to know about the topic” as Jennifer Dyer, Diversity Programme Leader at IOP told Total Professions. She went on to explain that disabled people are currently a group not well represented in the sciences, or in professional bodies.

The conference is aimed at professionals dealing with widening participation issues, disabled students, academic and university administrative staff, and anyone that would like to address the inclusion of disabled students as part of their work in the sciences. Hopefully this will start something that encourages an even wider group of people to consider the inclusion of disabled people, in universities, in professional bodies, at work and everywhere.

As Jennifer explained, although the IOP provides a lot of career advice to both members and the general public, they currently do little work directly with students or with disabled people. They do however work with university departments and schools “across the whole education spectrum to widen participation”. It is hoped by engaging those who work directly with disabled students, IOP will gain more insight into the relevant issues and find out what the next steps are. The conference also aims to break down perceptions of what disabled people can’t do.

The Disability Equality Duty (DED) means that all universities are legally required to look actively at ways of ensuring that disabled people are not discriminated against as a consequence of their disability. There have been changes to the Equality Act this year which affect what is understood as disability discrimination. ‘Access for all: A Guide to Disability Good practice for University Physics Departments’ is a report produced by the IOP in 2008, responding to DED in relation to the study of physics at university.

Speakers at the conference will include Dr Nicki Martin, Chair of the National Association of Disability Practitioners (NADP) and Head of Disability and Well-being at the London School of Economics (LSE) and Dr Helen May, Senior Adviser at The Higher Education Academy. There will also be a range of workshops during the day. Read more about, and book for, this free event here.

12th August

Amy Hannington is a Research Assistant at PARN (Professional Associations Research Network).
PARN is a not-for-profit, membership organisation for professional bodies. PARN’s main areas of expertise are research and consultancy services, provided not only for our members, but for other professional bodies and organisations interested in the field of professionalism.

To contact Amy email amy@parnglobal.com or call +44 (0)117 928 1991.