Deaf marine biologist Barbara Spiecker discusses accessibility in STEM with UMich ASL Club
About 40 attendees gathered at the Michigan League Thursday evening to attend a lecture by Barbara Spiecker, a deaf marine biologist at the University of New Hampshire and creator of the non-profit Atomic Hands, focusing on deaf accessibility in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The event, hosted by the American Sign Language Club at the University of Michigan, highlighted both Spiecker’s personal story as a deaf scientist as well as her work on ASL inclusivity in STEM spaces.
During the event, two interpreters translated Spiecker’s remarks for the hearing audience members. Spiecker discussed her journey as a deaf individual discovering her love for biology and marine science. She said she faced many challenges as she transitioned from a deaf high school to a public college environment with less accommodations for deaf students.
“My first two years were a struggle,” Spiecker said. “I look back and I believe the reason is because I had to experience interpreters. I had hearing professors. It was a hearing world.”
