Planning an Accessible Academic Conference

by Sophia Baker (University Of Aberdeen)

Friday 21 Jun 2024, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/London

OCW017

Zoom Recording

The recording of Sophia's talk can be viewed at the link below.

https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/rec/share/O-FwLJuP9OEekUgGk4WEbP0TAqEcoOdWE5MZoNfaKxvxgv9DwUBClzI_flr5aX3y.2SPDHC1RZbf1GcLP
Passcode: M!rrg3xM

Event Details

The EDI group of IPPP invites everyone to a seminar about planning an accessible academic conference by Sophia Baker, University of Aberdeen. This talk is intended for both would-be conference attendees and conference organisers! 

This event will be held in OCW017 and on Zoom, from 11am-12pm on the 21st of June (before the departmental BBQ!).

Abstract

Conferences can be brilliant opportunities to share our work and connect with colleagues - but too often, talented, hard-working physicists are prevented from engaging meaningfully with the scientific community because of a lack of consideration for accessibility and inclusion. Successful EDI strategies implemented at the British Geophysical Association Postgraduate Research in Progress Meeting (BGA PGRiP) 2023 led to the development of the BGA’s new guidelines for accessible conference planning. In this talk, these guidelines and the rationale behind them will be presented for the benefit of both attendees and organisers of future conferences, illustrated with examples from BGA PGRiP 2023. The guidelines are a living document, and suggested improvements are always welcome.

Being aware of the barriers that we experience in accessing conferences and meetings is a simple step to take towards truly equitable scientific practice. Regardless of career stage or level of involvement in EDI committees and activities, and even if you do not anticipate organising a conference in the near future, everybody is welcome to attend this talk.

The British Geophysical Association is a joint association of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Geological Society of London. Its mission is to promote the subject of geophysics and strengthen its relationship with other natural sciences in the UK.

Sophia is in the final year of her PhD in Geophysics at the University of Aberdeen and graduated from Durham University in 2021 (MPhys Physics). She was General Chair and EDI Lead for the British Geophysical Association Postgraduate Research in Progress Meeting 2023, and co-authored the BGA’s accessible conference guidelines and the accompanying A&G Magazine article (August 2024).

Zoom Link and Passcode

Link: https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/j/95985202419?pwd=pSMgYasggLwsPaoLIQIONKgBaR6AUQ.1

Meeting ID: 959 8520 2419

Passcode: 032858

We look forward to seeing you there!

Accessible Conference Planning.pptx