Disability History Month: Chemistry loses out if we exclude disabled talent

Barriers can take many forms for disabled people, such as physical, attitudinal or organisational. Finding ways to remove barriers allows us to produce the best chemistry, chemistry that everyone can contribute to and benefit from.

Barriers and disability

The idea of barriers is an important one in the social model of disability. According to this model, disability comes not from the existence of an impairment but from barriers that society creates. For example, imagine a colour-blind person reading a paper with figures that use red and green. The reason the person can’t parse it is due to their impairment, but they are disabled because the author designed the image with only some users in mind. This is an example of a communication or informational barrier.

[Group of bar graphs with sample data. Fig 1 with red and green bars. Fig 2 with filter of how Fig 1 looks to someone with red/green colour blindness. Fig 3 with blue and orange bars. Fig 4 with  solid grey vs striped grey.]

Disability in the chemical sciences

Across the UK, 24% of the population has some type of disability. However, based on our 2024 member survey, disabled chemists are underrepresented compared to the UK average. What's more, 10% of respondents to the survey say they experience barriers or limitations in their day-to-day activities relating to a form of disability, long-term health condition or impairment.

In some ways this isn’t surprising given the employment rate of disabled people is 53% compared to 82% of non-disabled people. However, it does mean we are missing out on a huge amount of disabled talent. Our pages include information on creating a supportive work environment for disabled staff through actions like inclusive recruitment and improving lab accessibility. We also have information for disabled chemists that signposts support and networking opportunities.

Strengths and achievements

It’s important to attract and retain disabled people in chemistry because as well as the individual potential and ideas any of us can bring to our workplace, disabled chemists also bring different perspectives due to their life experiences which can be hugely beneficial. Disabled people can have many strengths, not in spite of, but because of their conditions, such as strong problem-solving skills, greater empathy, and attention to detail.

Dorothy Hodgkin Picture: RSC

A blue National Chemical Landmark plaque in honour of Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Picture: RSC

One famous disabled chemist was Britain’s only female chemistry Nobel laureate, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin. She developed rheumatoid arthritis in her late twenties which got progressively worse. After the condition first appeared, she faced a barrier in the lab: she was unable to operate switches on the equipment she used for her experiments. However, Hodgkin came up with the idea of using levers as an aid, an accommodation that meant her impairment did not prevent her from practising chemistry.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity is viewed by some as a type of disability but not all neurodiverse people identify that way. Neurodiversity is the idea that differences in brain function and behaviour are natural variations to be celebrated not problems or deficits to be fixed or cured.

In our member survey, 26% of respondents who identify as disabled said they were neurodivergent and there will also be neurodivergent chemists who don’t identify as disabled. Neurodivergent people often display a higher aptitude for some types of cognitive abilities and skills and challenges in others. This means they have unique strengths and ways of thinking which can be advantageous when studying or working in chemistry.

Since neurodiverse people make up a significant portion of the chemistry community, we recognise the need to provide resources specific to this group. In October 2024, we launched our Neurodiversity in the chemical sciences webpages. These provide resources for neurodivergent individuals as well as their colleagues and organisations.

How to support colleagues

Senior management and line managers have a responsibility to implement organisational policies and procedures, such as providing reasonable accommodations, but anyone can support their disabled colleagues.

The first thing you can do is raise your understanding around disability. Stereotypes and misconceptions lead to stigma and discrimination. You can ask your employer to provide training or do some research yourself about topics, such as barriers or invisible disabilities.

Be considerate with your words. Ableism, the idea that some bodies and minds are ‘normal’ and better than others, pervades the language we use. You might not have thought of it but phrases like ‘falling on deaf ears’, ‘that’s so lame’, or ‘turning a blind eye’ all associate impairments with negativity. It’s insulting and harmful to say someone is ‘afflicted with’ or ‘suffers from’ a disability. It’s better to use neutral phrasing, such as ‘has’ a disability.

The most important thing you can do is listen to disabled people. Every person with a disability is an individual with their own preferences and experiences so don’t make assumptions. The burden of self-advocacy can be a real problem so while it’s important not to speak over disabled people, amplifying their voices and proactively lobbying for inclusive practices and spaces is a powerful way to be an ally. If you have an idea, look out for our Inclusion and Diversity Fund application periods. Or you can flag to your disabled colleagues that they can also apply for our Accessibility Fund or Chemists’ Community Fund for support.

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