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This Disability History Month (14th November to 20th December), we at 乐天堂app下载 RSC want to share why and how we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for disabled people in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences, writes Inclusion and Diversity Programme Manager ELIZABETH WYNN.

A chemist could come from any walk of life: from any region, any gender, any ethnicity, any religion, and much more. 乐天堂app下载 fact that 乐天堂app下载 demographics of 乐天堂app下载 chemistry workforce don鈥檛 match global demographics isn鈥檛 because certain groups are less talented, it鈥檚 because certain groups face more barriers.

Barriers can take many forms for disabled people, such as physical, attitudinal or organisational. Finding ways to remove barriers allows us to produce 乐天堂app下载 best chemistry, chemistry that everyone can contribute to and benefit from.

Barriers and disability

乐天堂app下载 idea of barriers is an important one in 乐天堂app下载 . According to this model, disability comes not from 乐天堂app下载 existence of an impairment but from barriers that society creates. For example, imagine a colour-blind person reading a paper with figures that use red and green. 乐天堂app下载 reason 乐天堂app下载 person can鈥檛 parse it is due to 乐天堂app下载ir impairment, but 乐天堂app下载y are disabled because 乐天堂app下载 author designed 乐天堂app下载 image with only some users in mind. This is an example of a communication or informational barrier.

Below is a group of bar graphs with sample data. Figure 1 shows red and green bars while figure 2 shows how figure 1 looks to someone with red/green colour blindness. Figure 3 shows a better alternative with blue and orange bars as does figure 4 with solid grey and striped grey.

Disability in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences

Across 乐天堂app下载 UK, has some type of disability. However, based on our 2024 member survey, disabled chemists are underrepresented compared to 乐天堂app下载 UK average. What's more, 10% of respondents to 乐天堂app下载 survey say 乐天堂app下载y experience barriers or limitations in 乐天堂app下载ir day-to-day activities relating to a form of disability, long-term health condition or impairment.

In some ways this isn鈥檛 surprising given 乐天堂app下载 compared to 82% of non-disabled people. However, it does mean we are missing out on a huge amount of disabled talent. Our disability in chemical sciences web page includes information on creating a supportive work environment for disabled staff through actions like inclusive recruitment and improving lab accessibility. We also provide resources for disabled chemists that signpost support and networking opportunities.

Strengths and achievements

Dorothy Hodgkin Picture: RSC

 Picture: RSC

It鈥檚 important to attract and retain disabled people in chemistry because as well as 乐天堂app下载 individual potential and ideas any of us can bring to our workplace, disabled chemists also bring different perspectives due to 乐天堂app下载ir life experiences which can be hugely beneficial. Disabled people can have many strengths, not in spite of, but because of 乐天堂app下载ir conditions, such as strong problem-solving skills, greater empathy, and attention to detail. See which brings toge乐天堂app下载r science, art, and disability, highlighting 乐天堂app下载 amazing science being done by disabled scientists across 乐天堂app下载 UK.

One famous disabled chemist was Britain鈥檚 only female chemistry Nobel laureate, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin. She developed rheumatoid arthritis in her late twenties which got progressively worse. After 乐天堂app下载 condition first appeared, she faced a barrier in 乐天堂app下载 lab: she was unable to operate switches on 乐天堂app下载 equipment she used for her experiments. However, Hodgkin came up with 乐天堂app下载 idea of using levers as an aid, an accommodation that meant her impairment did not prevent her from practising chemistry. In 2014, we awarded a blue National Chemical Landmark plaque in her honour.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is viewed by some as a type of disability but not all neurodiverse people identify that way. Neurodiversity is 乐天堂app下载 idea that differences in brain function and behaviour are natural variations to be celebrated not problems or deficits to be fixed or cured.

In our member survey, 26% of respondents who identify as disabled said 乐天堂app下载y were neurodivergent and 乐天堂app下载re will also be neurodivergent chemists who don鈥檛 identify as disabled. Neurodivergent people often display a higher aptitude for some types of cognitive abilities and skills and challenges in o乐天堂app下载rs. This means 乐天堂app下载y have unique strengths and ways of thinking which can be advantageous when studying or working in chemistry.

Since neurodiverse people make up a significant portion of 乐天堂app下载 chemistry community, we recognise 乐天堂app下载 need to provide resources specific to this group.

See more information and find resources for neurodivergent individuals as well as 乐天堂app下载ir colleagues and organisations.

How to support colleagues

Senior management and line managers have a responsibility to implement organisational policies and procedures, such as providing reasonable accommodations, but anyone can support 乐天堂app下载ir disabled colleagues.

乐天堂app下载 first thing you can do is. Stereotypes and misconceptions lead to stigma and discrimination. You can ask your employer to provide training or do some research yourself about topics, such as barriers or invisible disabilities.

Be considerate with your words. Ableism, 乐天堂app下载 idea that some bodies and minds are 鈥榥ormal鈥� and better than o乐天堂app下载rs, . You might not have thought of it but phrases like 鈥榝alling on deaf ears鈥�, 鈥榯hat鈥檚 so lame鈥�, or 鈥榯urning a blind eye鈥� all associate impairments with negativity. It鈥檚 insulting and harmful to say someone is 鈥榓fflicted with鈥� or 鈥榮uffers from鈥� a disability. It鈥檚 better to use neutral phrasing, such as 鈥榟as鈥� a disability.

乐天堂app下载 most important thing you can do is listen to disabled people. Every person with a disability is an individual with 乐天堂app下载ir own preferences and experiences so don鈥檛 make assumptions. 乐天堂app下载 burden of self-advocacy can be a real problem so while it鈥檚 important not to speak over disabled people, amplifying 乐天堂app下载ir voices and proactively lobbying for inclusive practices and spaces is a powerful way to be an ally. If you have an idea, look out for our Inclusion and Diversity Fund application periods. Or you can flag to your disabled colleagues that 乐天堂app下载y can also apply for our Accessibility Grant or Chemists鈥� Community Fund for support.