SciComm Seminar 2023: Making Your Science Communication Accessible To People With Disabilities

The Water Whys VIP is now bringing in experts in visual scientific communication, beyond just the scientific journals and posters, for any interested students!

The Water Whys VIP (vertically integrated project) works with TV meteorologists and science journalists to create graphics these professional science communicators use to answer questions their audiences have about water issues including flooding, drought and water resources. 

In this SciComm Speaker Series, topics that will be addressed include the process of going from an idea to a fully designed illustration or animation, how to embed principles of accessibility into science communication, and the history of the image and the idea of scientific objectivity. Anyone interested in science communication and strategies for reaching broader audiences is invited to join in these virtual sessions. 

Participants must register for each session individually on the Water Whys website to receive the Zoom links.

For this presentation (Making Your Science Communication Accessible To People With Disabilities), Patrick Gavin, who is an User Experience Developer at Maritz, Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) with the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, will teach about the various ways that people with disabilities use the web, and how to factor that into your communication. This includes how to describe an image for people who cannot see it, how to write useful link text, how to think about color, and how to write plainly without sacrificing the science that you need to describe and include.

This seminar will be held on October 13th, 2023 from 1:00-2:00PM AZ Time. Interested participants can register for this specific event through this google form in order to access the zoom link for Making Your Science Communication Accessible To People With Disabilities with Patrick Gavin.