ONLINE ASTRONOMY FOR BVI PEOPLE

Abstract

The "Astronomía inclusiva" (inclusive astronomy) group is made up of 110 people from more than 20 scientific institutions and different areas of knowledge, with and without disabilities, who have been collaborating on different initiatives to make science more accessible. The pandemic presented us with the challenge of bringing astronomy directly to the homes of Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) people, leaving out previously prepared tactile models. Invited by the Central Library for the Blind bibliociegos of Chile, we held an Inclusive Online Astronomy Workshop, using sounds, materials that people can find in their homes, and detailed descriptions of how to manipulate them. In 13 sessions held by 10 institutions and personal projects from Chile and Mexico, various topics were addressed, such as celestial movements, constellations, star and planet formation, observatories, asteroids and dinosaurs, among others. In this work we presented the main lessons learned from the experience, the reception of which by those attending the workshop was excellent, allowing us to strengthen ties with the community of BVI people, and motivating us to continue with a second season, which is currently in preparation.