Series 17 February 2023

Disability and ableism in science careers

Disabled researchers are under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Many highlight “ableist” attitudes at work which excludes them from classrooms, labs, fieldwork and conferences, despite the important perspectives and skills they bring to research.

Articles

Overcoming low vision to prove my abilities under pressure

A genetic eye condition pushed biochemist Kamini Govender to develop coping strategies that serve her well in the lab and help her to avoid burnout.
- Lesley Evans Ogden
Career Q&A28 Mar 2024 Nature
Communication barriers for a Deaf PhD student meant risking burnout

Megan Majocha is gearing up to complete her PhD. But developing a sign-language lexicon to help her succeed took an immense toll during her scientific research.
- Jyoti Madhusoodanan
Career Feature7 Mar 2024 Nature
‘A beautiful way of saying a lot’: sign language brings benefits to the organic chemistry classroom

Christina Goudreau Collison works with Deaf students to develop clear signs for organic chemistry terms — which could also help students with non-conventional learning needs.
- Jyoti Madhusoodanan
Career Feature11 Mar 2024 Nature
Adding scientific signs to Indian Sign Language will create a more inclusive field for deaf students

Digvijay Singh, a deaf sign-language educator, works with biology researchers and sign-language specialists to add to the scientific lexicon for deaf students in India.
- Deepa Padmanaban
Career Feature28 Feb 2024 Nature
What’s the sign for ‘centrifuge’? How we added scientific terms to Indian Sign Language

Molecular biologist Alka Rao brought together her research group and sign-language specialists to broaden access to science for deaf students in India.
- Deepa Padmanaban
Career Feature23 Feb 2024 Nature
How my broken elbow made the ableism of computer programming personal

Amy Ko’s accident gave her an insight into the degree to which her discipline caters mainly to non-disabled people, reinspiring her to invent more accessible programming languages.
- Amy Ko
Career Column14 Sep 2023 Nature
NIH faces calls to change its ‘ableist’ mission statement

The US National Institutes of Health needs to include more people with disabilities in its workforce and research, report says.
- Virginia Gewin
Career News27 Jan 2023 Nature
Academia’s ableist culture laid bare

Four group leaders with disabilities share their thoughts on how to make laboratories and fieldwork more accessible and inclusive.
- Kendall Powell
Career Feature4 Oct 2021 Nature
Academia’s ableist mindset needs to change

Four junior researchers with disabilities describe their career experiences to date, and how colleagues can act as allies.
- Kendall Powell
Career Feature25 Oct 2021 Nature
How Zoom helped the neurotypical world hear my autistic voice

Anya Lawrence says pandemic videoconferencing has brought her closer to her colleagues and others in the world of science.
- Anya Lawrence
Career Column25 Aug 2021 Nature
Chemical modelling with a sense of touch

Computational chemist Mona Minkara simulates the molecular dynamics required for lung function and boosts access for visually impaired chemists.
- Kendall Powell
Where I Work26 Jul 2021 Nature
Science diversified: Tackling an ‘ableist’ culture in research

Many researchers choose not to disclose details of disabilities and chronic health conditions for fear of being stigmatised.
- Dom Byrne
Nature Careers Podcast25 Mar 2021 Nature
My international career journey as a disabled scientist

How Christopher Rensing’s diagnosis with a physical disability spurred him to form a microbiology research group.
- Christopher Rensing
Career Column11 Jan 2021 Nature
How science should support researchers with visual impairments

Naheda Sahtout says being legally blind doesn’t fundamentally affect her skills, and argues that science needs to start a conversation to attract and empower more researchers like her.
- Naheda Sahtout
Career Column11 Sep 2020 Nature
Let COVID-19 expand awareness of disability tech

The pandemic’s disruption shows how much academia could learn from the disability community.
- Ashley Shew
World View5 May 2020 Nature
Why scientists with children who have disabilities need a different career trajectory

As lockdowns ease, Olivier Pourret hopes that academia will take on board lessons about how to redefine career success.
- Olivier Pourret
Career Column8 Jul 2020 Nature
Ways to make meetings accessible

Four scientists with disabilities or chronic conditions share their conference conundrums and give advice on improving accessibility.
- Emily Sohn
Career Guide18 Dec 2019 Nature
How to organize a conference that’s open to everyone

Thinking about the needs of all participants is key to a successful event.
- Nic Fleming
Career Guide24 Jul 2019 Nature
How I self-advocate for researchers with disabilities and illnesses

Isobel Williams has an autoimmune disease. The support network that she co-founded is helping to improve life in academia for people with long-term health conditions.
- Virginia Gewin
Career Q&A27 Mar 2019 Nature
Science must rise up to support people like me

Institutions could do more to support researchers who have disabilities, says Aaron Schaal.
- Aaron Schaal
World View18 Apr 2018 Nature

Disability and ableism in science careers

Articles

Overcoming low vision to prove my abilities under pressure

Communication barriers for a Deaf PhD student meant risking burnout

‘A beautiful way of saying a lot’: sign language brings benefits to the organic chemistry classroom

Adding scientific signs to Indian Sign Language will create a more inclusive field for deaf students

What’s the sign for ‘centrifuge’? How we added scientific terms to Indian Sign Language

How my broken elbow made the ableism of computer programming personal

NIH faces calls to change its ‘ableist’ mission statement

Academia’s ableist culture laid bare

Academia’s ableist mindset needs to change

How Zoom helped the neurotypical world hear my autistic voice

Chemical modelling with a sense of touch

Science diversified: Tackling an ‘ableist’ culture in research

My international career journey as a disabled scientist

How science should support researchers with visual impairments

Let COVID-19 expand awareness of disability tech

Why scientists with children who have disabilities need a different career trajectory

Ways to make meetings accessible

How to organize a conference that’s open to everyone

How I self-advocate for researchers with disabilities and illnesses

Science must rise up to support people like me

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