It’s all a matter of fairness

We write about diversity and inclusion from time to time in the magazine, which is fairly understandable when you consider exactly how uniform and unwelcoming some sections of the chemistry enterprise can appear. This month’s issue is no exception: Nina Notman’s feature looks at the barriers that people with disabilities – be they physical or otherwise – face in studying chemistry.

Some of the statistics are pretty shocking, and it’s worth noting that the problems start at a younger age than we’re used to covering in our usual news and research articles. What leaps out at me is that only 20% of children with a disability achieve five GCSEs at grades A*–C, compared to 64% for non-disabled children. When you compare that to the 60% of university graduates with a disability employed six months after graduating (vs 65% for non-disable graduates), it’s pretty clear what a difference education makes.