pith. sign in

arxiv: 1907.04943 · v1 · pith:B4FZOU4Onew · submitted 2019-07-10 · 🌌 astro-ph.IM

Astro2020 APC White Paper: Accessible Astronomy: Policies, Practices, and Strategies to Increase Participation of Astronomers with Disabilities

Alicia Aarnio (University of North Carolina Greensboro) , Nicholas Murphy (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian) , Karen Knierman (Arizona State University) , Wanda Diaz Merced , Alan Strauss (University of Arizona) , Sarah Tuttle (University of Washington) , Jacqueline Monkiewicz (Arizona State University) , Adam Burgasser (UC San Diego)
show 9 more authors
Lia Corrales (University of Michigan) Mia Sauda Bovill (Texas Christian University) Jason Nordhaus (Rochester Institute of Technology) Allyson Bieryla (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian) Patrick Young (Arizona State University) Jacob Noel-Storr (InsightSTEM) Jennifer Cash (South Carolina State University) Nicole Cabrera Salazar (Movement Consulting) Hyunseop Choi (University of Oklahoma)
This is my paper

Pith reviewed 2026-05-24 23:06 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification 🌌 astro-ph.IM
keywords accessible astronomydisability inclusionfunding agency policybest practicesinstitutional accountabilityastronomers with disabilitiesdiversity in astronomyADA compliance
0
0 comments X

The pith

Funding agencies should evaluate institutional accessibility during proposal reviews to increase participation of astronomers with disabilities.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

This white paper identifies major barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating in astronomy education and careers. It outlines best practices for classroom instruction, institutional culture, hiring, infrastructure, and outreach that go beyond basic legal compliance. The central recommendation is that funding agencies should assess accessibility when evaluating proposals, enforce accountability on institutions, and fund efforts to collect data on the status of disabled astronomers and students. If these steps are taken, the field would become more inclusive by design rather than by after-the-fact fixes. A reader would care because removing these barriers could bring additional talent and perspectives into astronomical research.

Core claim

The paper claims that astronomy can increase the number of astronomers with disabilities by implementing specific policies and practices, with funding agencies playing the key role through accessibility evaluations in proposals, accountability measures for institutions, and support for data collection on participation rates.

What carries the argument

An accountability framework in which funding agencies incorporate institutional accessibility into proposal evaluations and require data reporting on disabled astronomers.

If this is right

  • Institutions would need to improve physical and digital access to remain competitive for grants.
  • Routine collection of participation data would allow the community to measure progress and target remaining gaps.
  • Hiring committees and departments would adopt the described inclusive practices as standard procedure.
  • Outreach programs would be redesigned to serve audiences with a wider range of disabilities.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • The same accountability approach could be tested in adjacent fields such as physics or planetary science.
  • Effective data collection would need protocols that protect individual privacy while still revealing participation trends.
  • Widespread adoption might spur development of new accessible tools for data analysis and telescope operation.

Load-bearing premise

The listed barriers are the main ones limiting participation and that agency-level accountability plus best practices will produce measurable increases in the number of disabled astronomers.

What would settle it

Longitudinal data on the percentage of astronomy students and professionals who identify as disabled, collected before and after agencies begin evaluating accessibility in proposals, showing no change in participation rates.

read the original abstract

(Abridged) In this white paper, we outline the major barriers to access within the educational and professional practice of astronomy. We present current best practices for inclusivity and accessibility, including classroom practices, institutional culture, support for infrastructure creation, hiring processes, and outreach initiatives. We present specific ways--beyond simple compliance with the ADA--that funding agencies, astronomers, and institutions can work together to make astronomy as a field more accessible, inclusive, and equitable. In particular, funding agencies should include the accessibility of institutions during proposal evaluation, hold institutions accountable for inaccessibility, and support efforts to gather data on the status and progress of astronomers and astronomy students with disabilities.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

0 major / 0 minor

Summary. The paper outlines major barriers to access in astronomy education and professional practice for individuals with disabilities, presents best practices for inclusivity across classrooms, institutional culture, infrastructure, hiring, and outreach, and advances specific recommendations for funding agencies, astronomers, and institutions to go beyond ADA compliance, including incorporating institutional accessibility into proposal evaluations, holding institutions accountable for inaccessibility, and supporting data collection on participation rates of astronomers and students with disabilities.

Significance. If adopted, the policy prescriptions could increase participation of astronomers with disabilities by addressing systemic barriers and promoting accountability mechanisms, contributing to greater equity in the field. As an Astro2020 APC white paper, it supplies a structured set of actionable strategies grounded in described community needs rather than new empirical results.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

0 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for their positive assessment of the white paper and for recommending acceptance. The summary accurately captures the manuscript's scope, recommendations, and intent as an Astro2020 APC white paper.

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity; policy recommendations lack derivations or self-referential reductions

full rationale

This is a policy advocacy white paper that describes barriers to participation, lists best practices, and offers normative recommendations for funding agencies and institutions. It contains no equations, fitted parameters, statistical models, or derivation chains. The central claims are forward-looking policy prescriptions grounded in community needs rather than any internal logical reduction to inputs, self-citations, or fitted quantities. No load-bearing steps exist that could be evaluated for circularity under the specified patterns.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 1 axioms · 0 invented entities

The paper rests on domain assumptions about the existence and nature of accessibility barriers in astronomy; no free parameters or invented entities are introduced.

axioms (1)
  • domain assumption Astronomy education and professional practice contain major, addressable barriers for people with disabilities.
    This premise underpins the entire set of recommendations and is invoked in the opening description of barriers.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5785 in / 1024 out tokens · 21990 ms · 2026-05-24T23:06:43.600064+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

55 extracted references · 55 canonical work pages

  1. [1]

    a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

    Abstract One outcomeof the 2015 Inclusive Astronomyconference was the establishment of an accessibility/disability advocacy group within professional, US-based astronomy, organized by a coalition of disabled astronomers and allies and is supported by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). While the Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD 1 )...

    work page 2015

  2. [2]

    Available at: https://wgad.aas.org/

    Working Group on Accessibility and Disability. Available at: https://wgad.aas.org/. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  3. [3]

    Available at: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/12/10/fifty-colleges-sued-barrage-ada-lawsuits- over-web-accessibility

    Fifty colleges sued in barrage of ADA lawsuits over web accessibility. Available at: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/12/10/fifty-colleges-sued-barrage-ada-lawsuits- over-web-accessibility. (Accessed: 9th July 2019)

    work page 2018

  4. [4]

    University settles lawsuit filed by disabled student

    pwelch. University settles lawsuit filed by disabled student. accessology.com (2018)

    work page 2018

  5. [5]

    Available at: https://www.d.umn.edu/~lcarlson/atteam/lawsuits.html

    Higher Ed Accessibility Lawsuits, Complaints, and Settlements. Available at: https://www.d.umn.edu/~lcarlson/atteam/lawsuits.html. (Accessed: 9th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  6. [6]

    Available at: https://www.dol.gov/odep/faqs/general.htm

    General Questions - Frequently Asked Questions - Office of Disability Employment Policy - United States Department of Labor. Available at: https://www.dol.gov/odep/faqs/general.htm. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  7. [7]

    Available at: https://askjan.org/a-to-z.cfm

    A to Z of Disabilities and Accommodations. Available at: https://askjan.org/a-to-z.cfm. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  8. [8]

    Bureau, U. C. Americans with Disabilities: 2014. Available at: https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2018/demo/p70-152.html. (Accessed: 3rd July 2019)

    work page 2014

  9. [9]

    PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY: LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS—2018. 11

    work page 2018

  10. [10]

    W., Todd, R

    Moon, N. W., Todd, R. L., Morton, D. L. & Ivey, E. Accommodating students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): Findings from research and practice for middle grades through university education. NSF SciTrain Sci. Math Spons. Natl. Sci. Found. Atlanta Ga. Cent. Assist. Technol. Environ. Access (2012)

    work page 2012

  11. [11]

    & Kennedy, J

    Jain-Link, P. & Kennedy, J. T. Why People Hide Their Disabilities at Work. Harvard Business Review (2019). 11

    work page 2019

  12. [12]

    Available at: https://www.talentinnovation.org/publication.cfm?publication=1590

    Center for Talent Innovation - Research & Insights. Available at: https://www.talentinnovation.org/publication.cfm?publication=1590. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  13. [13]

    Available at: https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/

    Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2019 | NSF - National Science Foundation. Available at: https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/. (Accessed: 9th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  14. [14]

    Martin, J. K. et al. Recruitment of Students with Disabilities: Exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. 15

    work page

  15. [15]

    & Ivie, R

    Pold, J. & Ivie, R. Workforce Survey of 2016 US AAS Members Summary Results. 39

    work page 2016

  16. [16]

    Available at: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/nsf-funding-rates-by-principal-investigator-pi-demographic

    NSF Funding Rates by Principal Investigator (PI) Demographic - Data.gov. Available at: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/nsf-funding-rates-by-principal-investigator-pi-demographic. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  17. [17]

    (Accessed: 3rd July 2019)

    Zero Project | Announcing the Zero Project Report 2018! Available at: https://zeroproject.org/zero-project-report-2018/. (Accessed: 3rd July 2019)

    work page 2018

  18. [18]

    Accessibility Available at: https://accessibility.iu.edu/understanding-accessibility/barriers-to-access.html

    Barriers to access: Understanding accessibility: Accessibility: Indiana University. Accessibility Available at: https://accessibility.iu.edu/understanding-accessibility/barriers-to-access.html. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  19. [19]

    The Hechinger Report (2017)

    The vast majority of students with disabilities don’t get a college degree. The Hechinger Report (2017)

    work page 2017

  20. [20]

    & T Mowbray, C

    Collins, M. & T Mowbray, C. Higher Education and Psychiatric Disabilities: National Survey of Campus Disability Services. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry 75 , 304–15 (2005)

    work page 2005

  21. [21]

    Available at: 12 https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/disabled-grad-school-i-too-dread-accom modations-talk

    Disabled in Grad School: I, Too, Dread the Accommodations Talk | Inside Higher Ed. Available at: 12 https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/disabled-grad-school-i-too-dread-accom modations-talk. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  22. [22]

    Available at: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/disabled-grad-school-informal-accommod ations

    Disabled in Grad School: Informal Accommodations | Inside Higher Ed. Available at: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/disabled-grad-school-informal-accommod ations. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  23. [23]

    EDsmart (2016)

    Winning: A College Guide for Students with Disabilities. EDsmart (2016)

    work page 2016

  24. [24]

    & Sereseres, C

    Barazandeh, G. & Sereseres, C. D. Attitudes Toward Disabilities and Reasonable Accommodations at the University. 12

    work page

  25. [25]

    Available at: https://earthsky.org/space/space-data-into-sound-patterns-wanda-diaz-merced

    Listening to the patterns of the universe | EarthSky.org. Available at: https://earthsky.org/space/space-data-into-sound-patterns-wanda-diaz-merced. (Accessed: 9th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  26. [26]

    Diaz-Merced, W. L. et al. Sonification of Astronomical Data. in 285 , 133–136 (2012)

    work page 2012

  27. [27]

    Toward a politics of disability: Definitions, disciplines, and policies

    Hahn, H. Toward a politics of disability: Definitions, disciplines, and policies. Soc. Sci. J. 22 , 87–105 (1985)

    work page 1985

  28. [28]

    Roweton, W. E. Linton, S. (1998). Claiming disability: Knowledge and identity. New York: New York University Press. 203 pp., $16.95. Psychol. Sch. 37 , 557–558 (2000)

    work page 1998

  29. [29]

    Exploring the critiques of the social model of disability: the transformative possibility of Arendt’s notion of power

    Owens, J. Exploring the critiques of the social model of disability: the transformative possibility of Arendt’s notion of power. Sociol. Health Illn. 37 , 385–403 (2015)

    work page 2015

  30. [30]

    The role of theory in disability research - springboard or strait - jacket? Scand

    Gustavsson, A. The role of theory in disability research - springboard or strait - jacket? Scand. J. Disabil. Res. 6 , 55–70 (2004)

    work page 2004

  31. [31]

    studylib.net Available at: https://studylib.net/doc/9596800/disability-studies-a-nordic-perspective

    Disability Studies A Nordic Perspective. studylib.net Available at: https://studylib.net/doc/9596800/disability-studies-a-nordic-perspective. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page arXiv 2019

  32. [32]

    Introduction to the special issue: Understanding disability

    Tøssebro, J. Introduction to the special issue: Understanding disability. Scand. J. Disabil. 13 Res. 6 , 3–7 (2004)

    work page 2004

  33. [33]

    Scully, J. L. Disability: Stigma and Discrimination. in eLS (American Cancer Society, 2012). doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0005210.pub2

    work page doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0005210.pub2 2012

  34. [34]

    https://www.apa.org Available at: https://www.apa.org/pi/disability/resources/publications/newsletter/2014/07/fresh-perspectiv es

    Disability and disease as stigma: Some fresh perspectives. https://www.apa.org Available at: https://www.apa.org/pi/disability/resources/publications/newsletter/2014/07/fresh-perspectiv es. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2014

  35. [35]

    Access: Astronomy: What is Mental Illness? Access (2016)

    Zalucha, A. Access: Astronomy: What is Mental Illness? Access (2016)

    work page 2016

  36. [36]

    Access: Astronomy: Living with Anxiety Disorders in Astronomy

    Zalucha, A. Access: Astronomy: Living with Anxiety Disorders in Astronomy. Access (2016)

    work page 2016

  37. [37]

    Disability is not a disqualification

    Shanahan, J. Disability is not a disqualification. Science 351 , 418–418 (2016)

    work page 2016

  38. [38]

    Good Trouble

    #DisabilityTooWhite: Making the “Good Trouble” in Advocacy. Ramp Your Voice! (2016)

    work page 2016

  39. [39]

    Scribd Available at: https://www.scribd.com/doc/170642574/Offensive-Mechanisms-Chester-Pierce

    ‘Offensive Mechanisms’, Chester Pierce | Psychotherapy | Racism. Scribd Available at: https://www.scribd.com/doc/170642574/Offensive-Mechanisms-Chester-Pierce. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page arXiv 2019

  40. [40]

    Barbour, F. B. The Black seventies . (P. Sargent, 1970)

    work page 1970

  41. [41]

    & Yosso, T

    Solorzano, D., Ceja, M. & Yosso, T. Critical Race Theory, Racial Microaggressions, and Campus Racial Climate: The Experiences of African American College Students. J. Negro Educ. 69 , 60–73 (2000)

    work page 2000

  42. [42]

    Disability cannot mean ‘white disabled people’ only

    work page

  43. [43]

    Williams, D. R. Stress and the Mental Health of Populations of Color: Advancing Our Understanding of Race-related Stressors. J. Health Soc. Behav. 59 , 466–485 (2018)

    work page 2018

  44. [44]

    & Ashton-Smith, J

    Gould, J. & Ashton-Smith, J. Missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis? Girls and women on the autism spectrum. (2011). Available at: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bild/gap/2011/00000012/00000001/art00005. 14 (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2011

  45. [45]

    Available at: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/01/how-much-does-it-cost-to-test-for-adhd/index

    ADHD | Costs of ADHD Tests - Consumer Reports. Available at: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/01/how-much-does-it-cost-to-test-for-adhd/index. htm. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2013

  46. [46]

    L., Staff, J., Hillemeier, M

    Morgan, P. L., Staff, J., Hillemeier, M. M., Farkas, G. & Maczuga, S. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in ADHD Diagnosis From Kindergarten to Eighth Grade. Pediatrics 132 , 85–93 (2013)

    work page 2013

  47. [47]

    Available at: https://cswa.aas.org/

    AAS Committee on the Status of Women. Available at: https://cswa.aas.org/. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  48. [48]

    Available at: https://csma.aas.org/

    Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy. Available at: https://csma.aas.org/. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  49. [49]

    Available at: https://sgma.aas.org/

    Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA) | SGMA. Available at: https://sgma.aas.org/. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  50. [50]

    Google Docs Available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JipEb7xz7kAh8SH4wsG59CHEaAJSJTAWRfVA1MfY GM8/edit?usp=embed_facebook

    Inclusive Astronomy Recommendations [final draft]. Google Docs Available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JipEb7xz7kAh8SH4wsG59CHEaAJSJTAWRfVA1MfY GM8/edit?usp=embed_facebook. (Accessed: 9th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  51. [51]

    Available at: https://aas.org/comms/astronomy-department-climate-site-visit-oversight-committee

    Site Visit Oversight Committee (SVOC) | American Astronomical Society. Available at: https://aas.org/comms/astronomy-department-climate-site-visit-oversight-committee. (Accessed: 10th July 2019)

    work page 2019

  52. [52]

    Inclusion, T. C. on C. Supportive Academic Environments for Faculty | Mental Illness. Temple University Collaborative

    work page

  53. [53]

    & Todd, R

    Gregg, N., Galyardt, A., Wolfe, G., Moon, N. & Todd, R. Virtual Mentoring and Persistence in STEM for Students With Disabilities. Career Dev. Transit. Except. Individ. 40 , 205–214 (2017). 15

    work page 2017

  54. [54]

    L., Moon, N

    Todd, R. L., Moon, N. W. & Langston, C. E-mentoring and its relevance for competency-based education for students with disabilities: research from the GSAA BreakThru model. J. Competency-Based Educ. 1 , 17–30 (2016)

    work page 2016

  55. [55]

    Including the Rights of People with Disabilities in United Nations Programming at a Country Level

    United Nations Development Group. Including the Rights of People with Disabilities in United Nations Programming at a Country Level. (2011). Available at: https://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/iasg/undg_guidance_note_final.pdf. (Accessed: 10th July 2019) 16

    work page 2011