Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD)

Astronomy exists in the context of this society and is based in ableism. To that end, WGAD will work to:

• Identify, document, and eliminate the barriers to access (including access to information) that impact disabled astronomers and students;
• Actively address the intersections of ableism with racism, sexism, heterosexism, cissexism, and classism;
• Increase accessibility for disabled astronomers and students;
• Support the current professional astronomy community to bring people with disabilities into the workforce;
• Recognize disability by teaching disability history, specifically including the disability history of astronomy;
• Work to discourage the erasure of disability in astronomy;
• Promoting knowledge of the roots of ableism and the effects in our classrooms and workplaces to change it;
• Change the culture within astronomy to remove the stigma associated with disability and to value accessibility as a human right;
• Promote the development and use of access tools and software; and
• Build community among disabled astronomers and students.

Read more about the founding ideals of WGAD in our working group formation proposal document.