Loading…
Accessibility Unlocked 2025
Welcome to the Association for Science and Discovery Centre’s Accessibility Unlocked event!

This event is dedicated to making small changes for a big impact - everyone, no matter where they are placed within an organisation - can make a difference to accessibility. The foundational mission of all science and discovery centres and museums is to share science with everyone. As organisations built on outreach, providing accessible spaces, programmes and opportunities to engage with STEM is vital for us to achieve this mission.

We welcome ASDC members and non-members to this event, with ticket options for everyone.

To register for the event, visit: https://www.sciencecentres.org.uk/events/accessibility-unlocked/
Wednesday, May 7
 

9:30am BST

Welcome from the ASDC and WSC: Accessibility Unlocked
Wednesday May 7, 2025 9:30am - 9:45am BST
Speakers
avatar for Ben Ward

Ben Ward

CEO, Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium
avatar for Shaaron Leverment

Shaaron Leverment

Chief Executive, Association for Science and Discovery Centres
Shaaron is the CEO of ASDC and has over 20 years' experience working in science engagement and education. She stands for the value of science centres and museums for social good, as community assets that are accessible and relevant for a more diverse public.Shaaron joined ASDC in... Read More →
Wednesday May 7, 2025 9:30am - 9:45am BST
Planetarium Winchester Science Centre

9:45am BST

Keynote: Cultivating Inclusive STEM Engagement: Lessons from Wildflower Meadows
Wednesday May 7, 2025 9:45am - 10:15am BST
Opening the conference, Jeff Banks, CEO of Lightyear Foundation, examines the progressive steps required to build truly inclusive STEM opportunities for all - in our physical spaces, education, outreach and community engagement programmes - emphasising the critical role of reflection, shared learning, and collaborative action. He will take us on a journey, weaving together insights ranging from the conditions needed for a wildflower meadow to thrive, to Maslow’s Four Stages of Competence, challenging us to see accessibility not as a fixed goal but as continuous process of learning and re-learning, adapting to new conditions, and cultivating the right environment for change to happen. Jeff brings decades of experience in accessible education and community development, shaped by his own lived experience of disability and, more recently, deafness. A passionate advocate for truly inclusive environments, he combines insight with practical action - and for a bit of fun, delegates will even get the chance to learn a few basic signs along the way.
Speakers
avatar for Jeff Banks

Jeff Banks

CEO, Lightyear Foundation
Jeff Banks has led voluntary and community sector organisations for over thirty years, driving change across health, education, and social care. His work is rooted in equality, human rights, and creating truly inclusive environments. He has led several disabled-led organisations and... Read More →
Wednesday May 7, 2025 9:45am - 10:15am BST
Planetarium Winchester Science Centre

10:25am BST

The Tactile Universe: Breaking down barriers between communicators and the blind and vision impaired community.
Wednesday May 7, 2025 10:25am - 11:15am BST
The Tactile Universe is a multi-award winning public-engagement project which is creating multi-sensory resources to open up more accessible pathways to learning about astronomy for blind and vision impaired people. In this mini-training workshop we'll cover the basics of what the Tactile Universe project is all about and get you hands on with some of these resources to show you how we use them in practice. Because some people can find the idea of engaging with this particular community daunting, we’ll finish off by addressing your concerns, discussing common misconceptions and preconceived ideas that people can have about working with blind and vision impaired people.
Speakers
avatar for Dr Jen Gupta

Dr Jen Gupta

Associate Professor in Public Engagement and Outreach, Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth
Dr Jen Gupta is an Associate Professor in Public Engagement and Outreach at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth. In this role, she oversees a variety of engagement programmes that are designed to make physics and astronomy open to all and ensures that... Read More →
avatar for Nic Bonne

Nic Bonne

Public Engagement and Outreach Fellow/Tactile Universe Project Lead, Tactile Universe
Dr Nic Bonne is a blind astronomer and Public Engagement and Outreach Fellow based at the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation. He leads the Tactile Universe public engagement project which is developing free multi-sensory resources to give blind and vision... Read More →
Wednesday May 7, 2025 10:25am - 11:15am BST
Workshop Room 1 Winchester Science Centre

10:25am BST

Signing Science: Enhancing Science Engagement through British Sign Language
Wednesday May 7, 2025 10:25am - 11:15am BST
How can science and discovery centres raise awareness of STEM related British Sign Language (BSL) signs, to ensure deaf individuals are no longer excluded from scientific conversations?

Due to the complexity of scientific language, with continuously new or long terms, many interpreters shy away from working in STEM due to fear of misinterpretation. Finger-spelling, the  method signers use to communicate words for which there is no specific sign, is often relied on but this can be slow and imprecise.

The Scottish Sensory Centre's BSL glossary project at the University of Edinburgh is creating and cataloguing new STEM-based signs, expanding upon currently available BSL vocabulary.

Fiona Slater (Science Museum Group) and Dr Audrey Cameron (University of Edinburgh) will host a session to discuss systemic barriers to inclusion in the sector and delve into a recent partnership project to expand and embed the growing lexicon of BSL signs.


Speakers
avatar for Fiona Slater

Fiona Slater

Head of Access and Equity, Science Museum
Fiona joined the Science Museum Group in April 2021, in the newly developed role of Head of Access and Equity, to oversee the Groups public commitment and core value of being ‘Open for All’. For over 15 years Fiona has worked within Museum and third sector organisations to champion... Read More →
avatar for Dr Audrey Cameron

Dr Audrey Cameron

Chancellor’s Fellow, University of Edinburgh
Audrey’s research focuses on transforming how science is communicated through sign language. As the Scottish Sensory Centre's STEM BSL Glossary project leader, she has built a comprehensive resource of over 4,000 scientific signs with her team of 40 deaf scientists, sign linguists... Read More →
Wednesday May 7, 2025 10:25am - 11:15am BST
Workshop Room 2 Winchester Science Centre

11:15am BST

Break and refreshments
Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:15am - 11:45am BST
Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:15am - 11:45am BST

11:45am BST

STEAM powered – creating dance and science activities for multiple audiences
Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:45am - 12:35pm BST
In 2020 the National Space Centre working in partnership with NSC Creative and Moving together created a unique dance, science and technology programme of activities for SEND family audiences. This was co created with families and integrated understanding of space science concepts through movement and dance and represented using technology such as body trackers to give participants immediate feedback of their movements. This was then followed up with a programme of family and SEND friendly videos that can be used at home to support home learning.
This programme was so well received that we continued to develop the scheme to be used in SEND school setting in Leicester. Our aim now is to extend this into a loan box of activities that can be hired by county schools.
Come along to this hands on session to find out about our journey throughout the project and try out the activities.
 
The session will be run by Charlie Isham Head of Education at the National Space Centre and Emma Savage Practitioner Lead from Moving Together

Speakers
avatar for Charlie Isham

Charlie Isham

Head of Education, National Space Centre
Charlie joined the National Space Centre as Education development officer in 2006. She has a degree in Social Policy from Loughborough University, later completing a PGCE in primary Education. She has experience teaching in both Primary and Secondary schools, with a passion to teach... Read More →
avatar for Emma Savage

Emma Savage

Head Practitioner, Moving Together
Emma Savage is a Practitioner Lead at Moving Together dance company based in Leicester. Community dance is at the heart of Emma's practice, encouraging all ages and abilities to feel accepted and empowered through engaging with different dance styles and creative approaches. Emma... Read More →
Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:45am - 12:35pm BST
Workshop Room 1 Winchester Science Centre

11:45am BST

Visual Stories- Reducing Uncertainty and Increasing Predictability
Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:45am - 12:35pm BST
For some visitors, if you don’t have a Visual Story (or Social Story) on your website, they simply won’t visit your venue. Hear about Life’s journey to create their Visual Story and how critical friends from the autistic community help to ensure it is accurate and up to date.
This engaging session will create the opportunity to share inspiring practice and learn from each other. So, whether you have a Visual Story or are considering developing one, this is the session for you.
If you’ve got a Visual Story, please bring it with you. Let’s all share our experiences in a safe space and learn together.

Speakers
avatar for David Jones

David Jones

Community Liaison Manager, Centre for Life
David has been Life’s Community Liaison Manager for 7 years. He works closely with a wide range of communities including autistic, deaf, vision impaired, seeking to improve accessibility for all. Life’s partnership work supporting the autistic community, received a Mariano Gago... Read More →
Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:45am - 12:35pm BST
Workshop Room 2 Winchester Science Centre

12:35pm BST

Lunch and networking
Wednesday May 7, 2025 12:35pm - 1:30pm BST
Wednesday May 7, 2025 12:35pm - 1:30pm BST

1:30pm BST

Tours of Winchester Science Centre
Wednesday May 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:15pm BST
Facilitated tour in 3 groups 
Wednesday May 7, 2025 1:30pm - 2:15pm BST
Foyer Winchester Science Centre

2:15pm BST

Speed dating Demo tables! Resources and tangible take-homes that can improve the accessibility of your organisation
Wednesday May 7, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm BST
More details coming
Wednesday May 7, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm BST

3:15pm BST

Break and refreshments
Wednesday May 7, 2025 3:15pm - 3:45pm BST
Wednesday May 7, 2025 3:15pm - 3:45pm BST

3:45pm BST

Winchester Science Centre: Science and Nature exploration with early years and children with SEND
Wednesday May 7, 2025 3:45pm - 4:15pm BST
Winchester Science Centre: Science and Nature exploration with early years and children with SEND, organisational learning case study with Dr Kay McCrann (scientist and artist) /Jo Hennessy (Wonderseekers' Director of Experiences)
Speakers
avatar for Jo Hennessy

Jo Hennessy

Director of Experiences, Wonderseekers
Wednesday May 7, 2025 3:45pm - 4:15pm BST
Planetarium Winchester Science Centre

4:15pm BST

Reflections and thanks
Wednesday May 7, 2025 4:15pm - 4:30pm BST
Speakers
DJ

Dr Jamie Gallagher

Director, Impact Through Engagement LtD
avatar for Shaaron Leverment

Shaaron Leverment

Chief Executive, Association for Science and Discovery Centres
Shaaron is the CEO of ASDC and has over 20 years' experience working in science engagement and education. She stands for the value of science centres and museums for social good, as community assets that are accessible and relevant for a more diverse public.Shaaron joined ASDC in... Read More →
Wednesday May 7, 2025 4:15pm - 4:30pm BST
Planetarium Winchester Science Centre
 
Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link

Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.