Accessibility Unlocked 2025: Full Schedule

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/

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

Workshop Room 1

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

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 →

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

Workshop 1

11:45am BST

STEAM powered – creating dance and science activities for multiple audiences

Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:45am - 12:35pm BST

Workshop Room 1

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

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 →

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

Workshop 1