Enhancing Accessibility in Undergraduate Labs Through Collaboration

Undergraduate laboratory courses provide experiential learning opportunities for thousands of UBC students annually. The competencies cultivated through lab courses are foundational to many academic disciplines and are a mandatory component for students pursuing STEM degrees. While labs provide meaningful experiential learning experiences, they may also present sensory, cognitive, or physical barriers for students with disabilities. At UBC-V, approximately 16% of Science students identify as having/living with a disability (UBC Student Diversity Census, 2024-25) and 10% of UBC students are registered with the Centre for Accessibility. Ongoing consultation with lab instructors, support staff, and students in Fall 2025 has been instrumental to characterize strengths in current practices and surface support needs to inform this work. This project will leverage existing knowledge and partnerships to develop, pilot, and evaluate a practical toolkit, including discipline-specific examples and resources for inclusive lab design in selected first- through fourth-year courses with laboratory experiences.

Co-Leads:

Kirsty McIntyre, Science Education Specialist, Microbiology and Immunology (MBIM), Faculty of Science
Sarah Bean Sherman, Sr. Science Education Specialist, Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS), Faculty of Science
Gülnur Birol, Director, Skylight, Faculty of Science
Amber Schroeder, Administrative and Communications Coordinator, Skylight, Faculty of Science

Project Team Members:

Adele Ruosi, Sr. Science Education Specialist, Physics and Astronomy (PHAS), Faculty of Science
Alexis Gonzalez, Science Education Specialist, Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Erica Jeffery, Science Education Specialist, Zoology, Faculty of Science
Stephan Koenig, Science Education Specialist, Computer Science, Faculty of Science
Celeste Leander, Professor of Teaching, Botany, Faculty of Science
Jaclyn Dee, Lecturer, Botany, Faculty of Science
Maryam Moussavi, Lecturer, Botany, Faculty of Science
Rachel Wilson, Lecturer, Botany / Zoology, Faculty of Science
Anne Thomas, Laboratory Program Director, Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Justin Chang, Laboratory Program Director, Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Frank Huynh, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine
Firas Moosvi, Lecturer, Computer Science, Faculty of Science
Laura Cang, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Computer Science, Faculty of Science
Louise Longridge, Lecturer, EOAS, Faculty of Science
Stuart Sutherland, Professor of Teaching, EOAS, Faculty of Science
Faride Unda, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Wood Science, Faculty of Forestry
Andrew Santos, Lecturer, MBIM, Faculty of Science
Evelyn Sun, Assistant Professor of Teaching, MBIM, Faculty of Science
Jennifer Sibley, Lecturer, MBIM, Faculty of Science
Marcia Graves, Associate Professor of Teaching, MBIM, Faculty of Science
Morgan Alford, Sessional Lecturer, MBIM, Faculty of Science
Sreeparna Vappala, Lecturer, MBIM, Faculty of Science
Charissa Fung, Lecturer, Zoology, Faculty of Science
Stella Lee, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Zoology, Faculty of Science
Tessa Blanchard, Lecturer, Zoology, Faculty of Science
Alexis Bahl, Graduate Student, EOAS, Faculty of Science
Kat Benevidez, Graduate Student, EOAS, Faculty of Science
Tammy Rodriguez, Undergraduate Student, Neuroscience
B.D. Voss, Graduate Student, EOAS, Faculty of Science
Maha Husain, CBTF Administrative Coordinator, Computer Science, Faculty of Science
Lindsay Nelson, Earth Science Educational Field and Laboratory Coordinator, EOAS, Faculty of Science
Lucy Porritt, Lecturer, EOAS, Faculty of Science
Alison Lister, Professor, PHAS, Faculty of Science
Carl Michal, Professor, PHAS, Faculty of Science
Douglas Bryman, Professor, PHAS, Faculty of Science
Ingrid Stairs, Professor, PHAS, Faculty of Science
Jess McIver, Associate Professor, PHAS, Faculty of Science
Joss Ives, Professor of Teaching, PHAS, Faculty of Science
Michelle Kunimoto, Assistant Professor, PHAS, Faculty of Science
Sarah Burke, Associate Professor, PHAS, Faculty of Science
Afsaneh Sharif, Faculty Liaison, Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT)
Joseph Topornycky, Manager, Graduate Student Programs, CTLT
Shaya Golparian, Educational Developer, CTLT
AJ Krause, Accessibility Advisor, Centre for Accessibility (CfA)
Sarah Knitter, Associate Director, CfA
AC Deger, Program Assistant, Alternate Format and Student Services, CfA
Tamara Kelly, Professor of Teaching, York University
Ashley Nahornick, Principal Consultant, PathEd Learning