This session will focus on inclusive astronomy education through Universal Design principles, featuring three sub-sessions on supporting blind and partially sighted, deaf, and neurodiverse communities. It will highlight best practices for working with these groups while providing a space to share resources and expertise.

Schedule

• Textured 3D Astronomical Prints for Stimulating Interest in STEM for Students with BVI

  
  

  The richness and complexity of science and mathematics is embodied in Astronomy, a subject that also sparks public imagination. Astronomical discoveries and concepts are conveyed in imagery, and sometimes sound. We created the STEM Career Exploration Lab knowing that many individuals can benefit from alternative methods of information presentation, such as tactile resources. We used many methods and technologies including the utility of 3D printing to translate astronomical research data into tactile, textured forms. We describe details of our project in which we assessed students’ and educators’ interactions with the materials. We determined the 3D prints do stimulate interest in science, as well 3D printing technology, and help students improve their understanding of astronomical topics.

  

  Carol Christian

  

  Thomas Madura

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• Stars to shapes: Kindergarteners’ exploration of data sonification to improve access to education

  
  

  STEAM education’s heavy reliance on visuals notoriously throws up access barriers for students with blindness and low vision (BLV). BLV space scientists use advanced data sonification tools to access their scientific data. It makes sense to try and prepare young students for this future. Sonokids applied accessible sonification design to develop CosmoBally on Sonoplanet, a free educational game app for iOS and Android. On Sonoplanet everything is sonified: “open your ears” and listen. Educators have reported young BLV learners successfully and enthusiastically engaging with the games in the app, such as listening to sonified shapes, drawing in sound, and tracing a sonified line. Some show surprising ability. The app has sparked genuine interest in astronomy, in and beyond the classroom.

  

  Phia Damsma (Sonokids Australia)

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• Manufacturing and Pedagogical Mediation of Tactile Resources for People with Visual Impairments

  
  

  This research addresses the development and evaluation of accessible didactic materials for teaching astronomy to people with visual impairments. Tactile resources were designed through a hybrid manufacturing approach combining 3D printing with artisanal techniques, accompanied by pedagogical scripts adapted for effective human mediation. Project implementation and data collection were carried out during mass outreach events. The results show that these materials exceed the logic of individual accommodation, consolidating themselves as powerful educational resources for all students under the Universal Design for Learning paradigm. This study highlights the priority of integrating accessible technologies into permanent educational policies to foster a democratic scientific culture.

  

  Carlos Vigh (ICI (UNGS) - INFINA (CONICET-UBA) -DF (FCEyN-UBA))

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• Evaluating sonification for astronomy communication

  
  

  Traditionally astronomy education relies on visual representations of data which are not accessible to those who may need or prefer non-visual methods of communication. Sonification is the process of representing data with sound which has the potential to create immersive, accessible educational experiences. The Audio Universe team has been conducting research on the effectiveness of using different sound designs to represent astronomical data, such as stellar light curves. I will present results of how effective these different sound designs were for communicating key information and creating an enjoyable experience for family audiences. The outcomes of this research feed into the design of the Sonification Suite App which allows communicators to create their own sonification resources.

  

  Rose Shepherd (Newcastle University)

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• Touching the stars. Modular constellations for multisensory learning

  
  

  This project introduces modular, Arduino-based multisensory tablets translating astronomical data into tactile, visual, and acoustic stimuli. Using Cassiopeia constellation, apparent magnitude is mapped via LED brightness, sound frequency/volume, and textures (bolts, wires), letting users navigate stellar layouts through touch and capacitive sensors. This DIY design allows custom data mapping, fostering deeper cognitive processing. Tested in teacher workshops, these tools prove highly effective pedagogically: they clarify abstract concepts (like apparent vs. absolute brightness) for sighted users while ensuring accessibility for visually impaired learners. By building models, users shift from passive observers to active explorers, transforming astronomy into a personal, user-driven journey

  

  Federico Di Giacomo (INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Padua, Padua, Italy)

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• Sharing Project POEM: Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Engaging VI Youth in STEM Experiences

  
  

  We describe Project POEM (Project-Based Learning Opportunities and Exploration of Mentorship), an innovative year-long program that combined project-based learning and mentoring to engage US students with visual impairments (VI) in STEM. Over two summers, students engaged together in hands-on inquiry projects with support from program staff. During the school year, students engaged in project-based activities and interacted with both university STEM students and blind and low vision STEM industry professionals as mentors to learn more about working in STEM overall and as an individual with VI. We describe the findings from a mixed-methods study of 30 students and 33 mentors and share best practices and lessons learned for other programs to engage students with visual impairments in STEM.

  

  Sanlyn Buxner (University of Arizona)

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• Astronomy for a Deaf Sign Language User

  
  

  LIS, the Italian Sign Language, is a natural, historically developed language used by the deaf community in Italy, which has been recognised as an official national language since 2021. In Italy, more than 40,000 people use LIS. Many of them are native speakers of LIS, and for them, spoken and written Italian is merely a second language. A deaf person who uses sign language and wishes to pursue a career in astronomy can study texts written in Italian, provided they have the necessary linguistic proficiency; however, this inevitably poses problems when it comes to specialist texts that employ complex constructions which are difficult to understand, particularly for a non-native speaker. In any case, books alone are not enough: explanations, examples, experiments and demonstrations are needed, and these require a channel of communication that is also accessible to deaf people. And in many cases, this can be sign language. An inclusive education system for deaf people requires the design of inclusive and accessible teaching materials. In this talk, I will share my experience of accessing astronomy as an amateur, and my reflections on how astrophysics can be effectively communicated through Italian Sign Language (LIS). And it is not always simply a matter of translating a concept into a sign. In the case of scientific contents, and in particular astronomical ones, linguistic choices require careful selection of the signs and various elements of this language, and sometimes even the introduction of neologisms. This is because, as with spoken languages, the same sign can take on different meanings, linked either to everyday experience or to the physical nature of that concept.

  

  Mirko Govoni

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• The Solar System in Argentine Sign Language (LSA)

  
  

  The ENIGMAs School (National and Interamerican School of Geophysics, Meteorology and Astronomy) on Astronomy Didactics was organized by NAEC Argentina members and invited international professors. During this school, an innovative project for teaching the Solar System to deaf and hard-of-hearing students originated, which was later implemented through a UNLP university extension project in 2025. Focused on specific, visually-oriented learning, the workshop provides teachers with concrete tools to promote astronomical concepts using Argentine Sign Language (LSA) and tailored audiovisual resources. This work describes the core activities designed to foster meaningful learning and real inclusion for the deaf community.

  

  Corti Mariela Alejandra (Facultad de Cs Astronómicas y Geofísicas (UNLP) - Instituto Astrofísica de La Plata (CONICET-UNLP))

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• enSEÑAme astronomía, working with and for the deaf community in Mexico

  
  

  The deaf community in Mexico faces the communicational and educational challenge imposed by the lack of signs in Mexican Sign Language (LSM; Lengua de Señas Mexicana) for scientific and technical terms, in our case related to Astronomy. Our project "enSEÑAme astronomía" focuses in working with the deaf community in Puebla, Mexico to develop the neologisms (new signs) in LSM for words related to Astronomy to create an online glossary in LSM, with the proposed sign and a video explaining the concept in LSM. We also have other activities that provide practical astronomy knowledge to the participants. In the future, we will visit a couple of schools with deaf students. All the materials are available online to be used by the deaf community across the country.

  

  Anaely Pacheco Blanco (Astronomía sin barreras)

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• Nel Segno dell’Astronomia: Overcoming Lexical Challenges in LIS Science Communication

  
  
  

  Valentina La Parola

  

  Antonio La Barbera

  

  Giuseppe Settembre

  Coauthors: Stefania Varano (INAF)

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• Astronomy in Sign Language: experiences from Germany and Venezuela

  
  

  Our project promoted equitable access to astronomy for deaf children and adults in Venezuela and Germany. It began at the Centre for Astronomical Research in the Andes with mobile planetarium sessions (Astro-Bus) and sky observations at Mérida's observatory. A core component involved systematic co-creation of neologisms in sign language to address the lexical gap in astronomical terminology—a critical barrier to conceptual learning. Digital platforms proved effective for sharing astro-news in sign language. Since 2023, the project moved to Germany, integrating events in schools and summer camps through the "juteo" program (Federal Association for the Deaf), enabling comparative analysis of pedagogical infrastructures and inclusion policies between South American and European contexts.

  

  Contreras-Quintero Jhoel

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• Not Broken, Just Wired Differently: A Practical Guide to Neuroinclusion in Astronomy

  
  

  Approximately 15–25% of the global population is neurodivergent—including individuals with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, OCD, and related conditions. These learners are not broken versions of neurotypical students; they are differently wired minds that, when properly supported, bring extraordinary creative and analytical strengths to science. Astronomy, with its demands for pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, systems thinking, and obsessive curiosity, may well be one of the most naturally neurodivergent-friendly disciplines on Earth—if we build our classrooms and outreach spaces to match. This talk, presented by Dr. Jessica Schonhut-Stasik and Dr. Olivia A. Greene of The Neuroverse Initiative—a non-profit organization working at the intersection of neurodiversity and the space sciences—offers astronomy educators, outreach practitioners, and teacher trainers an accessible, evidence-informed foundation in neuroinclusive practice for primary and secondary education and teacher training contexts. Drawing on a strengths-based social model, we address common misconceptions about neurodivergent students, highlight neuroinclusive pedagogy, and offer practical, immediately implementable modifications to teaching, mentoring, and outreach programming that benefit neurodivergent and neurotypical learners alike. Attendees will gain a foundational understanding of neurodiversity through a social lens, alongside practical neuroinclusive strategies, and an introduction to Universal Design for Learning as a framework for building educational environments that work for every kind of mind. Both presenters are AuDHD astrophysicists and science communicators who were late-diagnosed as adults—and who bring to this work not only research and professional expertise, but lived experience as neurodivergent people navigating the very systems they now work to improve.

  

  Jessica Schonhut-Stasik (The Neurodiverse Initiative)

  

  Olivia A. Greene (The Neurodiverse Initiative)

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• Safe Space: Building Educational Equity for SEND Learners

  
  

  Astronomy has a unique ability to inspire curiosity and wonder, yet many disabled and neurodivergent learners remain excluded from traditional outreach. Through the University of York’s Safe Space project, we have developed multisensory, learner-centred astronomy experiences for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Working with special schools and community groups, we have created accessible activities using tactile and sensory resources,, virtual reality, and flexible communication approaches. This talk will share practical examples, evaluation findings, and lessons learned from working with learners with diverse needs. We will also discuss how an STFC Public Engagement Fellowship will build on this work to develop new resources and share best practice.

  

  Josie Rawes (University of York)

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• Multi-sensory workshops and planetarium shows with neurodivergent audiences

  
  

  As part of the Audio Universe project we create educational resources for use in planetariums, science centres, and schools. Through multi-sensory shows and workshops, our original focus was providing accessible resources for blind and low vision children. However, serendipitously we discovered benefits for some neurodivergent children. Therefore, we’ve been exploring how to effectively use our resources with these groups. We will present some preliminary lessons learnt from using the resources with very high need groups and schools specialising in autistic children. We would be delighted to receive input from the wider community as we collate our resources and provide guidance for planetariums and science centres for using educational materials with neurodivergent audiences.

  

  Chris Harrison (Newcastle University)

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• Connecting the Cosmos with people: best practices for inclusive astronomy

  
  

  This contribution presents the ongoing work of the IAU-CAP Inclusive Astronomy Communication Focus Group in developing best practices for engaging people with intellectual disabilities and other neurodivergent individuals in astronomy education and communication. Drawing on expertise from practitioners working across formal, non-formal and public engagement contexts, the initiative promotes knowledge exchange and the co-creation of practical resources to support the design and delivery of more inclusive experiences. Examples of activities and narrative frameworks aimed at fostering relational competencies and meaningful participation will be presented. The resulting recommendations highlight astronomy’s potential as a tool for inclusion, belonging and personal empowerment.

  

  Leonardo De Deo (University of Bologna / INAF-OAS)

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• Astronomy outside the (neuro)typical classroom: knowledge, flexibility, and fun

  
  

  Drawing on years of experience giving astronomy lessons for all ages as well as personal and professional experience with neurodivergent students, I'll share tips to help create successful astronomy experiences for students with ADHD and autism in primary and secondary schools.

  

  Veronica Allen

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Posters

• A Galaxy Within Reach: Navigating the Milky Way Galaxy through Tactile Models

  Rika Reventar (National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand)

  The study of Astronomy has established a reputation as fundamentally visual, but the desire to give visually impaired and blind people access to astronomy has long been pursued. Even though telescopes offer useful astronomical image resources, there is a necessity to innovate and create new resources to cater to a wider audience and produce a more inclusive representation that will help the blind and visually impaired community access astronomical resources. The integration and use of 3D models in representing visual images of celestial objects such as the galaxies, is an innovative and effective way to ensure that everyone can explore astronomy more inclusively. This initiative aims to break down obstacles to accessibility and promote a more inclusive approach to astronomy education.

• Astronomy Beyond Seeing: Designing Inclusive Astronomy Experiences Through Imagination, Storytelling

  Tulika Dey (Christ University)

  Astronomy education often depends heavily on visual engagement through telescopes, images, and observation-based activities, creating barriers for blind and visually impaired learners and limiting accessibility in diverse educational settings. This proposed pilot explores how astronomy can be experienced beyond visual observation through an adaptable educational capsule integrating audio storytelling, guided imagination-based activities, and reflection-oriented engagement. The framework aims to foster curiosity, participation, and personal connection with astronomy in accessible ways, while also offering adaptable possibilities for Deaf and hard of hearing students and learners with mobility-related challenges through inclusive communication approaches.

• Bridging Gaps in Astronomy Education for Exceptional Learners in Ghana through Teacher Training

  Sarah Abotsi-Masters (NAEC Ghana / PRAGSAC / EduSpots)

  Astronomy education for exceptional learners remains a significant challenge worldwide. In Ghana, schools for blind and deaf learners have historically had limited access to astronomy education. To address this gap, we conducted 2 TTP teacher training workshops (2024 and 2026) for science teachers from schools for the blind and deaf across Ghana. During the workshops, participants explored essential astronomy topics, complemented by inclusive, hands-on astronomy activities using tactile models made from simple materials, and multi-sensory approaches. This presentation shares insights gained from participant feedback, challenges encountered, and evaluation results, demonstrating the potential of targeted teacher training to promote equity, accessibility, and inclusion in astronomy education

• Building Inclusive Pathways to Astronomy Participation: Experiences from the RADIIO Project in China

  Yuan Sui (North America International School)

  As part of the RADIIO project supported by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development, we explore how astronomy can foster inclusive participation across educational, geographic, and social boundaries. Through an urban–rural co-learning model, students engage in shared astronomy activities and exchange learning experiences. We also contribute radio astronomy training and resources to the Shanghai Astronomy Museum Rural Teacher Support Program. Beyond schools, we support disability-inclusive communities through accessible astronomy activities and explore citizen science, multi-sensory outreach, and astronomy theatre. This presentation shares lessons learned in building inclusive pathways to astronomy participation in local contexts.

• Decolonizing the Sky: Intercultural Interventions in a São Paulo Planetarium

  Giovanna Carvalho de Morais (Universidade de São Paulo, USP)

  This work presents a pedagogical intervention developed and implemented at a planetarium in São Paulo. The activity integrates ancestral narratives about the origin of the Universe and the passage of time into a dome session, combined with a hands-on workshop in which participants recreate indigenous asterisms using punched cards. The proposal draws on the understanding that different communities construct their perceptions of the sky through distinct cultural, historical, and territorial processes, and that such plurality holds a legitimate place in science education settings. The study investigates how the inclusion of cultural astronomy in non-formal education contexts shapes conceptions of the nature of science and brings visibility to diverse ways of knowing and relating to the sky.

• Eclipse Inclusivo: Inclusive Astronomy Education Through a Total Solar Eclipse

  Jorge Rivero González (Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC))

  How can a blind or visually impaired person experience a solar eclipse? The total solar eclipse crossing Spain on 12 August 2026 offers a unique opportunity to promote inclusive astronomy education. Through the Eclipse Inclusivo project (ICE-CSIC), more than 100 LightSound sonification devices will be distributed across Spain, enabling visually impaired participants to experience the eclipse through sound. In collaboration with ONCE and other partners, the project develops educational workshops using tactile materials and sonification tools. Teacher training, solar telescope loans for schools, and a science contest further support learning. This presentation will share outcomes and lessons learned from using the eclipse as a platform for inclusive education and science engagement.

• Exploring the Universe Through Touch, Sound, and Inclusion

  Santana Jeremi (Instituto de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD))

  In this project, we developed materials to address astronomy, including eclipses, in an inclusive way. During the 2017 North American eclipse and the 2019 South American eclipse, data were collected using LightSound, then plotted and sonified. We also used scale models of the Earth and Moon, along with tactile materials to enrich the experience. These resources will be implemented in a pilot workshop in collaboration with the Patronato Nacional de Ciegos of the Dominican Republic. Feedback will be collected to improve the proposal and strengthen its impact on blind and visually impaired communities. The final goal is to bring these resources to school-age children and promote inclusive education.

• Fly Me To The Moon - Building Inclusion Through Sky-lore Storytelling

  Cassandra Wye

  This talk - will demonstrate through an Bolivian Sky-lore Folktale: 1. The Storyteller's Toolkit: A range of multi-sensory storytelling techniques that can make an inclusive learning experience for children with Additional Needs - including SEND children, EAL children; children from economically deprived communities and refugee families 2. The Storyteller's Prop-kit: A range of visual, textile and physical props that can communicate the science embedded within the story 3. The Storyteller's Activity-kit: A range of multi-sensory activities to enrich the children's understanding of the science within the story 4. The impact of using an inclusive approach to 'Teaching Science through Story" - on the development of science oracy and science capital within marginalised communities

• Inside the Sadler-McCarron Tactile Telescope

  Ed Sadler , Kate Meredith

  In "Inside the Sadler-McCarron Tactile Telescope," GLAS Education's Ed Sadler details the creation of an innovative hands-on learning tool. Originally designed to make astronomy accessible to blind and visually impaired students, the tactile telescope has since become a staple at GLAS Star Parties. Because traditional telescopes are delicate and their optical components cannot be touched, these cutaway models provide a safe, engaging way for everyone to explore how telescopes work. This presentation traces the telescope's evolution from a complex prototype to an accessible, easier-to-build model. Sadler will discuss the design process, which uses common hardware materials such as PVC and 3D-printed faux lenses. Attendees will learn how the design enhances tactile learning and how educators can use GLAS's free instructions to build their own classroom models.

• One Sky, Many Senses: An Inclusive Astronomy Teacher Training Program ( TTP2025) in Ethiopia

  Nebiyu Suleyman Mohammed (Ethiopian Space Science Society)

  The TTP, One Sky, Many Senses, was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Dec 21–22 2025 by NAEC-Ethiopia, Ethiopian Space Science Society (ESSS), with support from OAE. The workshop trained teachers in inclusive astronomy education through hands-on activities adapted for visually and hearing-impaired learners. Participants explored the Solar System, Earth–Moon system, craters, spectroscopy, solar observations, angular measurements, and the scale of the Universe using tactile models and low-cost materials. Interactive sessions on accessibility and astronomy sonification complemented the practical training. The program strengthened teachers’ capacity to deliver engaging, inclusive astronomy education in Ethiopia.

• Stargazing in Cracks

  Li Wanzhao Scarlett

  This 16-year study is about a high school astronomy club in hyper-competitive environment, severe resource scarcity which induced student mental health crises, necessitating the researcher’s long-term tracking and support. By granting equal, barrier-free access to all cosmic enthusiasts regardless of academic performance, this club pioneered a vital paradigm of inclusive astronomy. To bypass strict smartphone bans, members and alumni collaboratively sustained learning: using AI to transcribe video lectures into printed handouts for competition training, selling creative merchandise for financial self-sufficiency, and executing public stargazing outreach. This framework redefines inclusive astronomy as an empowering, trauma-informed pedagogical tool for true educational equity.

• Stars for All: An Inclusive Astronomy Outreach Initiative

  PRACHI YADAV (Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi)

  Astronomy is often considered a highly visual science, creating barriers for learners with visual, auditory, and mobility impairments. To address this challenge, the Physics Astronomy Club of Kirori Mal College organized Stars for All, an inclusive astronomy outreach initiative using tactile and multi-sensory learning methods. The event featured a tactile constellation dome, tactile solar system models, Indian space mission models, and an inclusive astronomy quiz that received enthusiastic participation. Building on its success in Delhi, the initiative aims to expand to underserved rural areas in India, promoting accessible and engaging astronomy education for learners of all abilities.

• The Beyonder's Space Forum: Multilingual Pathways to Equitable Space Education

  Sibsankar Palit (LIFE-To & Beyond Foundation)

  The Beyonder's Space Forum 2026 was a three‑day, multilingual initiative (28 Feb–2 Mar) marking four years of the LIFE‑To & Beyond Foundation® and National Science Day in India. Presenters in Bengali, Tamil, and English. We engaged some 60 international participants in dialogue and storytelling. Workshops examined the quotidian relevance of Space Technology (Bangla), career pathways in Astronomy in India (Tamil), and the emerging New Space Economy and Space Entrepreneurship (English). Hosted by Subhrajit Barua, Swathipriya D.G., and Sibsankar Palit, the forum combined scholarly perspectives and community voices to advance equitable, cross‑linguistic space education and to support pathways for diverse learners to find our place in space.

• The Tactile Universe: Communicating gravitational wave astronomy with multi-sensory resources

  Nicolas Bonne (Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth)

  For 10 years, The Tactile Universe project has created multi-sensory resources to give blind and low vision students more options for accessing astronomy. The project is well known for creating tactile images of galaxies, but from 2020 - 2023 we worked with local BLV students and gravitational wave researchers across the UK to co-create resources focusing on gravitational waves. As well as creating a set of 3D printed and lower tech tactile resources for the first time, the team used sonifications alongside these. I’ll show our new resources and discuss what different but complimentary information we've been able to communicate when combining touch and sound. I'll also show how these resources have allowed us to reinforce knowledge around core science topics in the school curriculum.

• Touching the Sky: 3D Printing Tactile Galaxy Models for Accessible Astronomy

  Grant Hurley (Queen's University)

  Radio astronomy is often shared through visual images, plots, and maps, which can create barriers for visually impaired learners and make spatial structures, and kinematics difficult to understand. This work presents 3D-printed tactile galaxy models created from 21 cm radio images of galaxies. By representing structure, morphology, and kinematic features through physical form and texture, these models support inclusive astronomy education in classrooms, outreach, and museum-style settings.

• Universal Design in Astronomy: Tactile Origami for BVI Space Education

  Ratnani Guneet (Department of Physics, K.J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Vidyavihar, Mumbai, India.)

  Teaching astrophysics is not about visual capacity only, but also sensory and cognitive translation. Traditional astronomy education relies heavily on visual data, inherently marginalizing blind and visually impaired (BVI) learners. To fix this, our poster introduces a 4-phase Universal Design curriculum: Material Mechanics, Miura-Ori Arrays, JWST Mirrors, and Starshade unfurling. Using tactile origami instead of static 3D prints, students actually feel kinematic deployment in their hands. This practical system engages key neurocognitive networks, replacing passive learning with true intellectual agency. Aligned with the IAU OAE 2026 Inclusive Astronomy session, this practical system replaces passive learning with intellectual agency.