Astronomer Wanda Diaz Merced Uses Physics and Technology to Expand Accessibility to the Universe

May 26, 2017 Kit Englard

The ESO telescope located at La Silla, Chile. The building has a gold dome, and is sitting on a hill. In the background is the milky way.

Wanda Diaz Merced is an astronomer who has had a visual impairment for most of her life, and attended school during a time when there was less awareness for the needs of students with disabilities. She grew up in Puerto Rico, where like all children, she became an observer to the world around her. “Even though my parents were poor and I had no exposition to science activities besides the science class in my school, I always knew I wanted to know how things worked.” Merced said of her life. This intrinsic curiosity about the natural world would lead Merced to pursue science as a professional career.

Global Accessibility Is Vital For The Future Of Our Communities

May 18, 2017 Kit Englard

Image of a desk. In the picture the corner of the screen of a Mac computer can be seen, with a Bluetooth apple keyboard and mouse. To the left of the keyboard sits an iPad.

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, or #GAAD on Twitter. Global accessibility is something that is near and dear to my heart for a variety of reasons, but first we need to define what it is. It’s about making technology, all technology, accessible to all people with disabilities. More importantly, it’s about making developers aware of why it is important to design accessible products and apps.

First Multi-Line Braille Display Brings Innovation to Braille Technology

May 8, 2017 Kit Englard

The Canute is one of the devices in line being heralded by media as the “kindle for the blind”. Among assistive technology developers, is a race to see who can design and build such a device first, but so far no one has succeeded. Canute, built by Bristol Braille located in Bristol, is working on the first multi-line braille display—and it is nearly ready for distribution.

Youth Slam Puts Science in the Hands of Blind and Visually Impaired Kids

April 24, 2017 Kit Englard

Chemistry lab table, with 3 small bottled and 2 large ones full of colorful liquid. On a chalkboard behind them are various chemical formulas.

Blind children are often not given an opportunity to get involved with STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) subjects. Nemeth code is not often introduced, and main streamed students simply don’t get access to biology, physics, and chemistry in the same way their sighted peers do. Youth Slam, run by the National Federation for the Blind’s National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS) is stepping in to change all of that.

Cripping the Con Changes What is Means to be a Geek

April 21, 2017 Kit Englard

Comic Conventions are notorious for not being accessible to people with disabilities. Lack of interpreters at presentations and panels, inaccessible buildings, not enough seating around the convention for people to rest, are all problems that can prevent potential disabled convention goers from enjoying themselves. It sends the unintended message that, ’you are not welcome here’.

Cripping the Con is changing what it means to be a disabled geek by creating a completely accessible comic convention.

Marvel Disability Inclusion Series: Marvel, You Can Do Better

April 13, 2017 Kit Englard

Marvel comics laying in a pile on a blue background.

Marvel has a reputation for underrepresenting minorities in their content. Just recently, Marvel’s Sales VP made comments in an interview with ICv2 about a decline in sales being a direct result from including a more diverse range of characters. Translation: having too many female and minority characters were causing readers to spend money and time elsewhere.

Disability Poetry Reading Series: Karletta Abianac's Poetry Crafts Awareness

April 7, 2017 Kit Englard

Karletta Abianac, dark hair pulled back, wearing long dangling earrings, is standing in front of a beige brick wall. She is wearing a purple blouse, and matching nechlace.

April is both National Poetry Month as well as National Autism Awareness Month, meaning that Karletta Abianac, who hails from Queensland, Australia—her work focusing on what it is like to live life along the autism spectrum—is the perfect poet to kick off our Poetry Month Reading Series.

Bartlet for President! Could someone with MS get elected?

April 3, 2017 Kit Englard

Actor Martin Sheen, playing Josiah Bartlet, is standing on the set of The West Wing. He is outside of St. Anne's Church. There is a row of greenery behind him.

Sometime around the inauguration, the West Wing was trending on Netflix and I thought, “You know, I should watch that.” I was not expecting to fine a massive plot line surrounding Multiple sclerosis! I decided to dive into the history of our presidents, their medical histories, and answer the question: could we today support a president with MS?

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