ACCESSIBILITY ANALYSIS OF THE BRYN MAWR COLLEGE GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND SUGGESTIONS FOR BEST PRACTICES

Students with disabilities are severely underrepresented in the geosciences, potentially due to the inaccessible nature (or perceived inaccessibility) of college and university geology departments. (The scope of this project covers students who are neurodiverse, those with mobility issues, and/or those with audio or visual impairments.) In order to increase the participation of students with disabilities in the geosciences, it is critical that geology departments assess the accessibility of all aspects of their department, such as classroom settings, lab spaces, and fieldwork requirements. In this poster I will present methods for doing this kind of assessment as well as the preliminary results from an assessment of the Bryn Mawr College Geology Department. Research methods include a survey of past and present geology students, discussions with faculty, and a literature review. I will summarize my research on the effects on the student when accommodations are not granted and when the burden is on them to constantly request accommodations, versus when professors create supportive, accessible classrooms and curricula. Additionally, I will present preliminary research on methods and best practices for proactively creating and subsequently maintaining supportive and accessible environments for all students regardless of ability. Lastly, I will discuss my suggestions for addressing how to educate the geologic community as a whole on issues of accessibility in the geosciences, such as through workshops at conferences.