Title: Creating a disability access assessment for labs - Webinar
Date: 3rd March 2026
Time: 14.00 - 15.00
Synopsis:
Disability access in labs is generally poor due to a historic assumption that disabled scientists could not be accommodated safely in such environments. However improving this state is complex and detailed. It also requires a common language and criteria in order for everyone to understand what an “accessible” lab really looks like.
The Disability Assessment in Laboratory Environments (DALE) project aimed to address the challenge of creating a generic assessment of lab disability access for a wide range of lab types. We created a detailed electronic assessment, informed by numerous perspectives and tested in 4 different institutions and in labs with multiple purposes. We believe this is a solid starting point to create a common understanding of how to assess lab access. These assessments will allow institutions to identify access improvements needed and plan for their implementation. It will also allow institutions to publicise the current access standard of their facilities, so allowing disabled staff, students, and visitors to identify whether their access will need further accommodations or not.
Speaker:
Dr Katherine Deane is Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich.
Dr. Katherine is a wheelchair user with a variety of long-term conditions. She conducts research on the co-created management of long-term conditions and disabilities. She is also the University’s Access Ambassador and has improved the accessibility of their campus substantially in the last 10 years. She has provided access advice to a wide variety of institutions, funders, manufacturers, and event organisers. She has 6 research projects worth £9.5 million evaluating how to implement and evidence EDI best practice in research.
Tagged : EDI, Estates Management, Events, Webinar
Type : Training
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