Accessible science education

A conceptual image showing the disability icon ascending on a slope formed by a graduation hat; the Braille alphabet and the alphabet in sign language can be seen on the background

Source: © Viktor Koen @ Début Art

Nina Notman hears from some of the leading lights in the quest to make chemistry education accessible to all

Recent years have seen some headway made in tackling science education’s inclusivity and diversity issues, but, it’s fair to say, this is still very much work in progress. And one significant subsection of society – that makes up 7% of UK children and 18% of working-age adults – remains largely ignored: people with a disability. Not enough is being done to help break down these barriers to inclusion by any stretch of the imagination. Solutions include multisensory lessons for blind students, better lectures for students with hearing problems and technological fixes for those with physical disabilities.