Making chemistry accessible to all

Abstract

Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. In the gallery, there are several pieces by modern artists that illustrate loss, grief, and hardship in recent US history, including the impact of racial conflicts and COVID-19. Through their art, each artist conveyed to me their sadness, frustration, and anger about their personal experiences. I found myself thinking about how that relates to people with disabilities and their feelings about lack of accessibility to so many things in society. Their emotions about their need to fight to unlock tools that help bring equity parallel the struggles expressed by the artists in the Renwick Gallery. But it doesn’t need to be like this; society can choose a different path to make the world more accessible. The tools for an inclusive future The vision of the American Chemical Society Committee on Chemists