University Honors

In order for equity within any higher education institution to be attained, most notably equity in science education, it must be conceptualized with sufficient attention to access, as only then can full participation for all students be achieved. Disabled students have continued to face exclusion due to the historical and ongoing design of science laboratories that primarily serve able-bodied individuals. Even as relatively recent efforts introduced more physically accessible features, such as adjustable fume hoods and workbenches, these improvements have not fully addressed the broader challenges students encounter in relation to systemic ableist barriers. Given the complex systems through which disability resources operate in any institution, it is critical to examine not only existing resources and the degree of student awareness of those resources, but also the preparedness of all instructional faculty and teaching assistants (TAs) to support disabled students effectively. This study, focused on conditions of access in science education at a single university, aims to determine how the different components of the university environment intersect to create a sufficiently accessible and equitable environment for disabled students. Specifically, this study identifies and analyzes barriers to lab accessibility in undergraduate science education at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). It does so through surveys designed for both permanently and temporarily disabled students who have been or are currently enrolled in lower division undergraduate life science lab courses, which include the following course series offered at UCR: BIOL05L Series (accompanying Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology, Introduction to Organismal Biology, and Introductory Evolution and Ecology), BIOL020 Dynamic Genome Laboratory, CHEM01L Series (General Chemistry Laboratory), CHEM08L Series (Organic Chemistry Laboratory), BCH015 (Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory), and/or PHYS02L Series (General Physics Laboratory). This study also works with results of a survey designed for TAs of the aforementioned courses regarding their level training and awareness of accessibility protocols and accommodation practices. The resulting findings, alongside attention to larger structural and institutional forms of supporting disabled students at UCR, identifies strengths of current protocols in place as well as existing gaps. In the process, it highlights central insights from the field of Critical Disability Studies that offer helpful ways to imagine improved means of approaching disability as a concept and supporting disabled students. Ultimately, in this multimodal approach, this research advocates for a more robust accessibility policy and cultural shifts across UCR that directly address institutional ableism and support the full participation of disabled students in science laboratory classes.