Due to the visual nature of scientific presentations, conferences, seminars, and group meetings, their content is often not fully accessible to blind and visually impaired (BVI) researchers. In this talk, Professor Mona Minkara, a blind bioengineering professor at Northeastern University, will discuss the specific steps that she has implemented to increase the accessibility of presentations in her research program, which have also recently been adapted for all doctoral qualifying exams in her department. This process entails that 1.) students provide presentations at least 24 hours in advance of their talk, 2.) figures have a clear alternative text description to allow them to be interpreted by screen-reading software, and 3.) presenters strive to give a clear verbal description of visual content, including trends in data. Ultimately, these techniques yield a more inclusive and accessible learning environment, however they also often improve presentation quality, as the presenter is required to think critically about their narrative and choice of content.

“As you can see here”: A blind PI’s methods to create a more accessible research group

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.