Tabetha (Beth)

ALT What is inclusive science communication? Text message conversation Mercedes: I've been thinking about inclusive science communication. What is the best way to approach the topic of inclusion? Tabetha: As the quote goes, "It's complex, it depends....". We should start by knowing our audience! Zoe: To understand inclusion, it's important to also understand exclusion and deficit assumption! Let's talk about it!

ALT Know your audience, Every audience is unique, and have different Values, Attitudes, and Motivations. Knowing your audience will help you understand the best ways to create accessible experiences that are meaningful, relevant and respectful. When considering Inclusion, it is just as important to make sure the environment, experience or content is not Exclusionary. Quote: We fundamentally misunderstand how exclusion works and, as a result, how inclusion works. Emily Dawson Laurentian Science Communication Logo

ALT It is not enough to simply invite people from marginalized groups into spaces without reflecting and working on ways to remove exclusionary practices of Whiteness, class and gender privilege. Inclusion is not about changing a non-participant's attitude or behavior. Instead, think about if you have payed attention to multiple voices, spaces and values and how to challenge inequalities instead of reproduce them and... Avoid making Deficit Assumptions. Comic style drawing saying Well there must be some reason these communities aren't participating. And that's how you get the false narrative of the double deficit. The idea that exclusion is the fault of the excluded through two ways: Behaviorally deficient or attitudinally deficient. Which is wrong!

ALT Quote: ...our goal must be about everyone being able to choose to have a meaningful, relevant and respectful everyday science learning experience if they want to, one where their own communities, knowledges and practices are valued. - Emily Dawson