There is an under-representation of disabled researchers. Approximately 20% of the UK’s working population is disabled, but only 6% of UK academics self-identify this way. Laboratories have often been designed without consideration to disability access due to the historic assumption that disabled scientists could not work safely in such environments. Currently there is no consensus on what constitutes accessibility within laboratory environments.

Provision of laboratories and equipment which can be booked and shared by researchers from other institutions is a cost-effective way to utilise costly specialist equipment and facilities. Using these shared resource laboratories is a particular challenge to visiting disabled staff as reasonable accommodations may not be able to be implemented in the usual way, or at all.

It is essential for institutions to assess their accessibility in order to share access information with disabled researchers, and to let institutions plan a program of access improvements.

This project would assess the accessibility of shared resource laboratories, their structures, equipment, and the protocols for their booking and use.