Speaker
Description
In a world full of prejudice, division, and conflict, astronomy and space science still serve as a reminder to humankind that the Universe is full of wonders and mysteries that make us all awe in unison. One of the goals of the recently established Philippine Society of Space Science and Astronomy Research (PSSAR), Inc. is to keep these fields this way by making them accessible and inclusive to everyone, regardless of gender, race, or disability.
On behalf of PSSAR, Inc., I will introduce our different projects that promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) within our Philippine astronomy and space science community. To lead these projects, PSSAR, Inc. recently established an Accessibility and Inclusion Special Interest Group (SIG), a standing body of three coordinators, each responsible for a distinct access modality and set of partnerships, working under the supervision of the PSSAR Inc. Board. The aforementioned group will lead our previously implemented initiatives such as color-code labels for showing verbal communication preferences, promotion of using preferred gender pronouns (PGPs), inclusion of sign language interpreters, Braille and text-to-speech translations in our events, and creation of sonified astronomical data and tactile learning tools and materials. I will also introduce our multisensory star party and space accessibility program entitled “Hear and Touch the Sky” which will provide numerous activities that will promote accessibility in the field in collaboration with numerous local organizations.
This talk aims to influence organizers, stakeholders, agencies, and institutions to always consider IDEA not as an additional feature in their mission, vision, and events, but as a central and intrinsic part of their planning, so as to ensure that everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy and learn from the cosmos.
