1 Introduction

This resource is meant to provide general guidance on enhancing the accessibility of lab-based courses, with a particular focus on supporting the learning of students with physical disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are under-represented within scientific disciplines, and students with physical disabilities may even be discouraged from taking science-based courses in part due to concerns about the relatively inaccessible nature of scientific laboratories. It is worth emphasizing that while students with disabilities represent a small minority of the overall student population, the implementation of inclusive teaching practices has the potential to benefit learners of all abilities. Uniquely, teaching laboratories are learning environments in which poorly designed spaces and unsafe practices not only have the potential to adversely impact accessibility and learning but, at worst, may represent danger to a student and others in the class.

These guidelines have been developed in consultation with the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Students with Disability and following interviews with Faculty of Science undergraduate students with various disabilities about their experiences in our labs. It is important to emphasize that all individuals are unique, as are all disabilities. While this resource offers general advice designed to enhance accessibility in teaching laboratories, care should always be taken to consult directly with individuals about their disabilities, as well as learning support specialists, and medical professionals as deemed appropriate.

Lastly, a comment on language usage throughout this resource. Person-first language (i.e., a student with disability) is primarily used in our text, however it is important to keep in mind that some people may prefer identity-first language (i.e., I am a disabled student). As best practice, we recommend that educators adopt the language style employed by the person or student with whom they are engaged in dialogue.