Winchester Science Centre
On Wednesday 7th May, over 75 science communicators, public engagement professionals and disability advocates came together to explore how we can make science more inclusive for everybody.
Delegates from over 40 STEM organisations around the UK attended the event either in-person or online to learn how to improve accessibility for their organisations.
The programme of talks and workshops focused on how we create spaces, systems and programming that are not just welcoming, but truly accessible to all.
ASDC Chief Executive Shaaron Leverment opened the event with this message:
"No matter where you are in your organisation you can make a difference to the accessibility of your whole institution. You may be the first person a visitor sees when they come through the doors, or you may never been seen… always working in the background. You may create partnerships, design or deliver programmes or events …. Wherever you are placed, we want you to leave today with a real practical, useful takeaway – a tangible take home. It may be a new idea, mindset, activity, personal connection – to help you make a positive difference when you get back."
Both the in-person and online audiences heard from keynote speakers Jeff Banks, CEO of the Lightyear Foundation, and Celia Chartres-Aris, UK Government Advisor, named the UK’s most influential disabled person in 2024, whose powerful stories set the tone for a day of learning and collaboration.
Jeff Banks giving his keynote speech Cultivating inclusive STEM engagement: Lessons from wildflower meadows on stage in the planetarium at Winchester Science Centre
Celia Chartres-Aris giving her closing keynote Empowerment: Pride, power and progress
The programmes were divided into talks, interactive workshops and presentations showcasing current initiatives that make science an accessible space for all, especially for children, as well as time for networking and guided tours of Winchester Science Centre. The sessions included:
- ‘Signing Science: Enhancing science engagement through British Sign Language’ with Fiona Slater, Science Museum and Dr Audrey Cameron, University of Edinburgh.
- ‘The Tactile Universe: Breaking down barriers between communicators and the blind and vision-impaired community’ with Dr Nic Bonne and Dr Jen Gupta, University of Portsmouth's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation.
- ‘STEM Powered: Creating dance and science activities for multiple audiences’ with Charlie Isham, National Space Centre and Emma Savage, Moving Together.
- Visual stories: Reducing uncertainty and increasing predictability with David Jones, International Centre for Life.
- ‘Nature exploration with early years and children with special educational needs’ with Jo Hennessy, Wonderseekers and environmental education specialist and artist Kay McCrann.
During the afternoon delegates at the science centre moved around a series of demo tables with speakers and hosts sharing tangible take homes to improve accessibility. These included; Sociability Accessibility app, digital accessibility for social media, a guide to co-creating sensory bags, Tactile Universe project, a guide to creating inclusive and accessible events, Workshop on wheels and how to embed EDI into every layer of the visitor experience.
Thank you to the BSL interpreters who signed many of the in-person sessions to ensure D/deaf delegates could be part of the sessions, and the networking conversations.
Recordings of the sessions will be available to all delegates. If you'd like to share your feedback from the event please email the team.
Together, we can make small changes that generate a big impact!
Dr Nic Bonne shares his reflections from the day
Feedback from some of the delegates:
"Some great resources to take away (even though I was online!) Tactile Universe has blown my mind. So simple, yet so clever and exciting!"
"A really well put together programme of talks and workshops with lots of tangible takeaways that will make a real difference to our activities and materials."
"I attended online, thank you for making this event so accessible. The online programme was wonderful. I have never attended an event where the online programme is just as good as an in-person experience... I will be taking away many learnings from the day."
"I was really happy with the event and felt more and more comfortable with the group, and how everyone was very accepting of differences and positive about change. It was a good feeling. Sometimes sessions on accessibility can feel confrontational, but this event felt celebratory and kind."
"Celia’s talk at the end of the day was the exact reason why we must come together and promote accessibility - she is an inspiration for all."
