1st questioner asked how they knew to look at ferns for sources.
Their research time did lit review and found that in the 1970s there had been promising research on ferns, but they didn't have the technology at the time to make good on the promise.
There's a short break where in-person attendees can network and enjoy each other's company, but online attendees have no chat area or other tools to do that because #Ableism
I guess you can visit the "virtual" poster presentation area, though...
I appreciate the hard work of the student volunteers, but UC Davis Plant Sciences has been made aware of the inequity and inaccessibility of its events for > 4 yrs now.
Organizing the student-run symposium has been steered to the prize students of certain PIs at UC Davis, reducing the opportunity for input from marginalized students, including disabled ones. @plantscience#UCDPSS2024#DisabledAndSTEM#UCAccessNow
"I can't read that sign - I'm colorblind!" - Dr. Gaut, good naturedly.
Folks don't think of themselves as disabled, but accessibility is important at all times. Even when our institutions fence disabled people out, there are still disabled people in academia and our communications, infrastructure, and culture need to be accessible.
That's probably it for me today. The lack of consideration for disabled members of this department and school, the lack of equity in being able to ask questions live make it so tha tI might as well watch this shovelware on YouTube where it'll be uploaded later.
I was speaking today with a cycle mechanic, trying to remember the electronic spec of an e-quadricycle and I mixed my numbers up because dyscalculia frequently makes me do that. He knows I'm a grad student in plant science and said, "How can you be in science when you can't do math?"
I cannot tell you how often I've heard this from both people inside and outside of STEM. #DisabledAndSTEM
UC Davis' Plant Science Symposium is tomorrow. They didn't consider accessibility to disabled scientists despite knowing they had disabled scientists here at UC Davis, but I'm posting it because it's free & maybe folks can still get something out of it. @plantscience
Please boost in the hopes of reaching someone who can answer:
Can someone direct me to a form and/or a person responsible for ensuring ADA compliance (not a defensive "cover your ass" thing, but actually caring about accessibility) at USDA?
I just replied to the same email they sent the survey link to me with. The one thing I wanted to give them as feedback in response to their questions about why I hadn't kept my membership.
"What has kept me from renewing with all plant science professional orgs has been the lack of accessibility & inclusion for disabled people. The ageism towards older students is also not helpful or welcoming."
NWS continues to flout ADA and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act...after the breaches have been repeatedly brought to their attention
Don't tell me ableism in STEM is no big deal. What the hell use is your #SciComm if you refuse to communicate important data (weather alerts, warnings, disasters) accessibly? Eugenics, is what it ends up being. #DisabledAndSTEM
While I tend to appreciate folks who are working on accessibility, there is a widespread ableist attitude that disabled people should be grateful for whatever scraps of consideration, inclusion, and accessibility we get.
I have no obligation to feel grateful for that. Being considered, included (including in planning), and having my public university that I've paid for all my adult life be accessible to me is my right.
So while I do try to recognize folks who are putting more effort into dismantling ableism than others, I want to folks to resist the idea that a disabled person should just be happy a given thing isn't quite as harmful as it is in worse places.
Systemic oppressions train us to think this way - to defend hegemons, defend the systemic oppressions, and attack those marginalized for not being happy & content with the marginalization. #DisabledAndSTEM#UCAccessNow#PlantScience@plantscience
My public university system - the one I have contributed to as a taxpayer all my adult life, the one I currently pay tuition & fees to, does not see it as its job to be accessible to disabled members of the public.
Here in their job ad for "Disability Analyst" is the quiet part out loud: They'd rather fight accessibility, fight the existence of disabled members of the public because we are seen as a COST.
Inspired by Biotweeps, do any of the biology folks here want to work on putting together an accessible online conference using Fediverse tools?
I'm thinking anti-ableist, anti-racist, anti-sexist, etc.
I, like many disabled scientists, have been left out of so many workshops, symposia, conferences, etc. due to inaccessibility. Especially since the pandemic began.
I think we could build some community on Mastodon.
Another UC Davis development program for grad students that is only offered in-person during a pandemic, masks not mandated. In fact, masks are sure to be off because food is included.
When people react like disabled students are "cheating" by getting their access needs met, remember all the education/research/career opportunities disabled students weren't even considered part of the intended audience. @academicchatter@disability
Tired of coming home with a case of "conference crud"? Want to enjoy great talks about science and accessibility? SciAccess is an accessible conference that started among astronomers, but also has talks that are of interest to folks in STEM in general as well.
And you can still register for it and attend despite it kicking off tomorrow!