Inaccessibility of Science Laboratories
There are many challenges that people with disability face when pursuing a career in the medical field. One of the major problems is accessing science laboratories, however, it has only been identified quite recently. Some of the major problems deals with inaccessibility of the laboratories that arise from the physical barriers created by the traditional design of the laboratory that restricts space and movement. Another problem comes from the intricate design of science lab equipment that requires a very precise handling, which serves as a barrier especially for the amputees and other people with impaired movement. Many groups of people have identified these problems in inaccessibility of science laboratories and are in the progress of implementing different programs and alternative designs of the laboratories and equipment in response to these problems.
These obstacles in accessing science laboratory can be found some educational institutions such as VCU and University of Washington. The Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences at VCU lists a number of highly specific requirements and expectations for people with disabilities. These requirements and expectations sets up a barrier for people with disabilities, preventing them from pursuing professions in the field of science that require laboratory practices (DCLS 2013). Some of these requirements are “ability to use hand(s) or prosthetic devices with coordination,” “ability to manipulate small objects with fingertips or adaptive devices,” “ability to hear with assistive devices,” and “ability to verbally communicate in English.” The physical aspect of these barriers are addressed by Burgstahler, the founder and director of the “DO-IT” project at University of Washington. In his proposal, “Making Science Labs Accessible to Students with Disabilities,” he identifies the inaccessibility of science laboratories that arise from the traditional design and suggests to solve this problem by re-designing the laboratories in a universal design that will remove the physical barriers in the laboratories. (Burgstahler 2013).
The importance of laboratory accessibility can also be found in Emory University. At Emory University, undergraduate students are required to fulfill the General Education Requirement (GER), which includes one year science course with a lab component. Moreover, if a student decide to apply for Emory School of Medicine, accessibility of science laboratories becomes a bigger issue because the school requires the student to take more hours of intense science courses with lab. Thus the experience that students have in science laboratory classrooms becomes a crucial factor when pursuing a career in the medical field.
Although there are many other types of barriers that make science laboratories, this project is going to focus on the physical barriers created by the traditional design of laboratory setting and science lab equipment. Click the button below to find out about the physical barrier created by traditional design of science laboratory classrooms.
These obstacles in accessing science laboratory can be found some educational institutions such as VCU and University of Washington. The Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences at VCU lists a number of highly specific requirements and expectations for people with disabilities. These requirements and expectations sets up a barrier for people with disabilities, preventing them from pursuing professions in the field of science that require laboratory practices (DCLS 2013). Some of these requirements are “ability to use hand(s) or prosthetic devices with coordination,” “ability to manipulate small objects with fingertips or adaptive devices,” “ability to hear with assistive devices,” and “ability to verbally communicate in English.” The physical aspect of these barriers are addressed by Burgstahler, the founder and director of the “DO-IT” project at University of Washington. In his proposal, “Making Science Labs Accessible to Students with Disabilities,” he identifies the inaccessibility of science laboratories that arise from the traditional design and suggests to solve this problem by re-designing the laboratories in a universal design that will remove the physical barriers in the laboratories. (Burgstahler 2013).
The importance of laboratory accessibility can also be found in Emory University. At Emory University, undergraduate students are required to fulfill the General Education Requirement (GER), which includes one year science course with a lab component. Moreover, if a student decide to apply for Emory School of Medicine, accessibility of science laboratories becomes a bigger issue because the school requires the student to take more hours of intense science courses with lab. Thus the experience that students have in science laboratory classrooms becomes a crucial factor when pursuing a career in the medical field.
Although there are many other types of barriers that make science laboratories, this project is going to focus on the physical barriers created by the traditional design of laboratory setting and science lab equipment. Click the button below to find out about the physical barrier created by traditional design of science laboratory classrooms.