I was recently asked what I would do with £1 million to improve accessibility and inclusion of teaching laboratories. What a great problem to have! I thought I would share my thoughts here in case they are useful to others designing lab spaces, even if they haven’t got such a large budget.

I must first acknowledge (the awesome) Sarah-Marie Da Silva for informing a lot of my thinking on this topic. While studying for her degree she was brave and forthright in challenging our department and university to be better where standards of accessibility and inclusion fell far short of what she needed in order to succeed as a wheelchair user. Her advocacy was impressive, and led to many improvements in our estates, facilities and ways of working. (Read our article Confronting the Legacy of Eugenics and Ableism: Towards Anti-Ableist Bioscience Education you are interested).

The main thing Sarah made me realise was how important it is to centre the level of autonomy and independence a disabled person might have in the lab space. Every time a disabled person needs to ask someone for help (another student, a demonstrator, a technician), this reduces their sense of autonomy, and therefore their sense that they belong in the space. 

These are some of the practical recommendations I would give for anyone looking at the physical infrastructure of their teaching labs. Of course you also need to think about inclusion of the experimental work and pedagogies, but these are some of the physical aspects that should be considered.

– Adjustable height benches = essential, and more complicated than might be immediately apparent. Just having these benches in place isn’t enough. You need to assess (i) is there enough space for the all the equipment for all practical as well as e.g. a lab book/notes? (ii) is there enough space for someone in a wheel chair to work with a lab partner at the bench? Often these benches are installed for a single user, but students typically work in pairs (iii) does a wheelchair user have autonomy over e.g. setting the height of the bench? An electronically adjustable set-up is much better than e.g. a handle that needs winching (which may require considerable physical strength), and having to rely on a technician to adjust the height is really frustrating (iv) have you got capacity for multiple wheelchair users? (v) have your adjustable benches got access to e.g. sinks and gas taps, or does the wheelchair user need to ask someone on a regular bench to do those steps of a protocol. (vi) is a wheelchair user safe using the bench if e.g. there is a spill? A lot of adjustable benches are not properly sealed, so e.g. an acid spill can go down the back of the bench and land on their lap, which they are unable to quickly stand up/rinse down etc. (vii) are demonstration benches also adjustable, or have you assumed that accessibility issues only concern students? Disabled academic and technical staff also need to be considered!

– Fume hoods/flow hoods. If you use these, have you also got adjustable height ones? All the same sort of issues as above. 

– Lab coats. There are starting to be some wheelchair user lab coats available which is a positive development. Having a really broad range of sizes is also really important. I’ve seen students look so uncomfortable having realised the provided lab coats don’t include anything in their size. They’ve then had to wait ages for technicians to find a suitably sized lab coat while peers are able to start work – how stigmatising must that be?

– Lab seating. Have you got comfortable seating available for those who may have e.g. fatigue issues. Are there seats with backs? Are there adjustable height seats available, or is everyone forced to use the same height of stool?

– Breakout space. Is there somewhere that lab users can go to take a break if needed? Does this space have some comfortable ‘normal’ seating? Can you eat/drink in the space? For example, if there was a diabetic individual who needed to regulate their blood sugars could they have a snack easily?

– Cognitive load. Labs are busy spaces physically, visually and sound wise. A lot of neurodivergent individuals find this really overwhelming. Can the space be designed with a ‘quieter’ end that isn’t as overwhelming? Is there a way you can partition the lab sensibly so students can still see demonstration materials, but are in a smaller space with fewer people immediately around them? 

– Lab capacity and physical spacing. A lot of teaching labs are really physically crowded with students having to work in really close proximity. This is a health and safety issue, and can make it more difficult for your demonstrators to give all students the attention they need. It can also be challenging for those needing alternative seating (see above), neurodivergent individuals or those with anxiety issues. Think about the spacing between people when the lab is full. Again, is there a way you can partition your space or arrange it so there is a bit more physical space available for those who find this difficult. 

– Gilsons. There are some pretty good alternatives to traditional Gilsons these days which are more accessible. This might be really important for those who have joint pain – I wouldn’t want to be someone with Carpal Tunnel syndrome in a pipetting lab! Again, have you got multiple sets?

– Hearing induction loops and microphones. As above, the acoustics of teaching labs can be challenging for everyone, but particularly for d/Deaf students and hard of hearing individuals. Microphones should be used at all times for briefings (even if you think your speaking voice is loud and clear) and coupled up to induction loops.

– Signage. Is it clear where the toilets are? Where the technicians office is? Where breakout space is? Good signage increases autonomy for all.

– Toilets. Where is the nearest disabled toilet? Is it easy to find? Is it accessible to a first year undergraduate who might not have card access to the whole building? Can a wheelchair user get there independently, or are there heavy doors in the way which means they need assistance. 

Talking to disabled students and staff about these issues is key to giving them autonomy. I found I was making a lot of assumptions I shouldn’t have, even thinking I was fairly good at this stuff! Make sure facilities are actually tested by those with relevant disabilities. Just because something has been installed as being ‘accessible’ it doesn’t mean it actually is in practice. Also remember that (under UK law) this should all be in place in anticipation of a disabled individual arriving in the lab. It shouldn’t be a mad panic to ensure accessibility in response to an individual – these things should have been thought about and installed in advance.

You should also be aware there is a real issue with disabled students becoming unpaid disability consultants, which is both exploitative and inequitable. This is particularly given the higher costs many disabled students face, and they are less likely to have part time work. If you are getting students in to advise/test out stuff then make sure they are paid a living wage for their time.

I hope this has been helpful. I am sure there are things I’ve missed, but this should be a good starting point. Even if you haven’t got £1 million to spend, you could implement some of these things for very modest costs. Some will require partnering with your technicians, estates and disability inclusion services (or occupational health for staff). Remember it essential to also include the disabled individuals themselves – they are the experts in their requirements and in what works. Putting the individual autonomy at the heart of decision making is key. If we get this right, disabled individuals can and should feel as welcome in labs as anyone else.