The 2020 SciAccess Conference will be an all-day online event taking place on June 29, 2020. It is a free webinar dedicated to promoting disability inclusion in astronomy and STEM. It is open to the public and all who are interested in accessibility and inclusion in STEM. In order to attend the 2020 SciAccess Conference, please register by submitting this form. The 2020 SciAccess Conference can be accessed using this Zoom link on June 29th.
This virtual event will feature keynote speaker Astronaut Soyeon Yi. Dr. Yi is the first and only astronaut from South Korea. The conference will also feature scientists and engineers with disabilities who will share their experiences in STEM.
SciAccess 2020 is taking place on the one-year anniversary of the inaugural SciAccess Conference, which can be learned more about at SciAccess.org. It will also be the culminating event of Making Space for All, a weekly webinar series that takes place every Thursday at 3 pm ET from April 2 to June 25. To learn more about this inclusive astronomy series, please visit our Making Space for All series.
The 2020 SciAccess Conference is being organized in partnership with NASA, The Ohio State University Department of Astronomy, and the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics. The full schedule for June 29 can be found below. If you have any questions please email us.
Conference Schedule:
All times listed below are in Eastern Daylight Time.
9:30-9:40 AM: Welcome Address
Speaker: Anna Voelker, SciAccess Conference Director
One Year Later: Updates from Select SciAccess 2019 Speakers
9:40-10:00: Making a Conference Inclusive: From SciAccess 2019 to International Astronomical Union (IAU) Symposium 358
Speaker: Dr. Kumiko Usuda-Sato and the IAU Symposium 358 Core Team
10:00-10:10: See3D – 3D Printing for People Who Are Blind
Speaker: Caroline Karbowski, CEO of See3D and Biology and Chemistry Student
10:10-10:20: IDEAs in STEM: Collaboration for Change
Speaker: Dr. Mahadeo Sukhai, Head of Research and Chief Accessibility Officer of the Canadian National Institute of the Blind
10:20-10:30: Afterglow Access – A Progress Report on Accessible Data Processing Software for Astronomy
Speaker: Kate Meredith, President of GLAS Education
10:30-10:40: Inclusive STEM Education with the Graphiti Dynamic Tactile Graphic Display
Speaker: Venkatesh Chari, Chief Technologist of Orbit Research
10:40-10:50: Interactive Tactile Graphics and Models In Science Museums and At Home
Speaker: Lindsay Yazzolino, Tactile Design Specialist
10:50-11:00: Accessible YOUniverse: One Year Later
Speaker: Heather Tomko, Disability Advocate and Ms. Wheelchair USA 2018
11:00-11:10: Autism in Color: One Year Later
Speaker: Senay Daniel, Entrepreneur and Community Advocate
11:10-11:20: Final questions for the returning 2019 speakers
Panel: Morning Speakers
Featured 2020 Speakers
11:20-11:55: Rooting for Inclusion: A Transdisciplinary Approach to STEM Education
Speaker: Dr. Sarmistha Talukdar, Molecular Biologist and Autistic Self-Advocate
12:00-1:00: Lunch Break
1:00-1:35: Using the Principles of Universal Design to Make Department Activities Accessible
Speaker: Amanda Quirk, Astronomy & Astrophysics PhD Candidate and Disability Advocate
1:40-2:15: So What If We Can't Hear the Radio?
Speaker: Julia Velasquez, Aspiring Astronaut and Science Communicator
2:20-2:55: The Tactile Universe: Accessible Astrophysics Public Engagement with the Vision Impaired Community
Speaker: Dr. Nicolas Bonne, Vision Impaired Astronomer and Public Engagement Specialist
Keynote Speaker Presentation
3:00-4:00: Dr. Soyeon Yi - Astronaut
Dr. Soyeon Yi is South Korea’s first and only astronaut. She was selected as an astronaut in December 2006, out of 36,000 contestants vying for the title of South Korea’s First Astronaut. On April 8, 2008, she launched into space on-board Soyuz TMA-12 for an 11-day mission aboard the International Space Station. Dr. Yi holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and an MBA with emphasis on Technology and Global Leadership from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Post-Conference Social Hour
4:00-5:00 PM: Various Hosts
We know that one of the most valuable aspects of any conference is the ability to connect with other attendees. In order to recreate this networking opportunity in a virtual setting, we are excited to host the 2020 Post-Conference Social Hour! This hour-long event will be broken down into four chat rooms, organized by area of interest. All attendees will have the option to move freely between the different virtual rooms. Unlike the rest of the conference, the social hour will allow everyone to turn on their video and audio in order to facilitate conversation. This time is completely unstructured and is designed to facilitate an informal exchange of ideas and experiences. Prior to the conference, you will receive special links for joining each of the four breakout rooms. Each room will be hosted by one of our featured SciAccess 2020 speakers. They are as follows:
Neurodiversity Chat Room
Host: Dr. Sarmistha Talukdar
Mobility Accessibility Chat Room
Host: Amanda Quirk
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Accessibility Chat Room
Host: Julia Velasquez
Blind/Vision Impaired Accessibility Chat Room
Host: Dr. Nicolas Bonne
