Accessibility in Lab | Accessibility in Education with Sara Rivera, Ph.D. and Madelyn Cook

Welcome to the first part of our series on Accessibility in the Lab. This series will explore different areas of accessibility throughout education and the workforce, along with the necessary conversations about the topic. In this episode, we begin by discussing the current state of accessibility in education with our guests Sara Rivera, Ph.D., lab manager at the University of Michigan, and Madelyn Cook, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan. Whether a student requires additional time to complete an exam or a physical accommodation in their research space, accessibility is not one-size-fits-all for students. Rivera and Cook provide insight into academia through their personal experiences with accessibility which makes for a valuable conversation to hear.Key Learning Points:What accessibility looks like in academic researchWhat kind of accommodations are available for studentsThe responsibilities academic institutions have to provide accommodationsHow students can approach conversations about accessibility with their professors and facultyStay connected with SLAS:Online at www.slas.orgFacebookTwitter @SLAS_OrgLinkedInInstagram @slas_orgYouTubeAbout SLAS:SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building.  For more information about SLAS, visit www.slas.org.SLAS publishes two peer-reviewed and MEDLINE-indexed scientific journals, SLAS Discovery and SLAS Technology. For more information about SLAS and its journals, visit www.slas.org/publications.For Students:Visit the SLAS Student Resources to find information on student-focused SLAS awards, grants, scholarships, digital educational content, podcasts and more.*For a transcript of this episode, please visit this episode's page on Buzzsprout.Upcoming Events:SLAS Meet-UpsLeiden, Netherlands (10 September 2026)Tübingen, Germany (20 October 2026)SLAS 2026 Sample Management Symposium (October 21-22, 2026 | South San Francisco, California)SLAS2027 International Conference & Exhibition (January 30 - February 3, 2027 | San Diego, California)View the full events calendar