Description
The Philippine Space Science and Astronomy Research Conference (PSSARC) will be held for the first time on August 8-12, 2025, at Adamson University, Philippines. This will be the first conference of its kind, wherein Filipino experts, researchers, scientists, and enthusiasts in space science and astronomy will gather together to create an avenue for building new connections, fostering novel opportunities for collaboration, and strengthening the Filipino astronomy community. One of the primary objectives of the conference is to introduce Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) initiatives, with the hopes of eventually influencing Philippine science education. This effort is both timely and relevant, given the current state of the Philippine education system. To foster a welcoming environment for everyone, we follow the color communication badge system as introduced by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), which will allow all participants to show their communication preferences during the conference without any initial verbal communication. Service dogs will also be permitted during the conference. Preferred gender pronouns (PGPs) are highlighted in each delegate’s name tag. Lastly, Braille translations of signage for blind participants and a sign language interpreter for deaf participants will be present during the conference. We report our statistical analysis on our initiatives, highlighting the reception, challenges, benefits, and areas of improvement of such initiatives.
