How we display, say, and do things mirrors the values we hold. Creating inclusive exhibitions, programming, communication and research can strengthen the reach and impact of our science engagement practices. This involves developing guidelines, such as universal design principles, inclusive research design and language practices, as well as participatory formats that inform content development and delivery methods.
Objectives
We cultivate and communicate new narratives within our content.
Our content is created with an awareness of inclusive design practices.
We promote and illuminate multi-disciplinary research on equity, inclusion and diversity as well as inequity, exclusion and marginalisation across various content domains.
Direct Actions in Content
CONTENT: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Indicators in your organisation
CHECK THE BOXES THAT APPLY TO YOUR CURRENT PRACTICES
Collections, Programming and Content Development
LOT'S TO DO!
Project Management
LOT'S TO DO!
Community Management and Audience Engagement
LOT'S TO DO!
PDFDOWNLOAD THE PLAIN VERSION OF THE ABOVE INDICATORS
Content RESOURCES
ENStep 2: Next Step
The Equity Compass
The Yestem Project - Louise Archer, Emily Dawson, Spela Godec
An easy-to-use tool to support socially just practice in informal STEM learning.
Direct actions that can make big changes in Content
If you are new to the subject, take part in a workshop or join a network like DiverSci to develop your awareness and start building a supportive professional network.
Form a working group on equity, diversity and inclusion with like-minded colleagues to build your understanding of what it means for content and design and how to integrate it into existing or new projects. To keep reflection going, you could create a ‘journal club’: read a book or an article, watch a documentary, listen to a podcast together and reflect on the equity, diversity and inclusion themes the materials address.
If a gallery or special exhibition cannot be redesigned, you could use facilitation or pop-up interventions in the space to make it more inclusive and accessible. Use these interventions as experiments to learn for future projects.
Initiate research into the origins of any objects in your collection or used in your space whose provenance is unknown and may have been obtained unethically. Even if obtained ethically, you could find out more about objects’ history that may help you interpret it more carefully from a diversity, equity and inclusion perspective.
Form a Community Council and get to know the needs, interests and strengths of the members and their organisations. Integrate them into the content development process. Listen to their ideas and feedback on ideas. Have them review draft content and test prototypes. Plan participation and the development of inclusive content and design realistically into the schedule from the start.