Making chemistry accessible to all

As the recently appointed chair of the American Chemical Society's Committee on Chemists with Disabilities (CWD), I am honored and excited to collaborate with a talented group to affect and influence how society perceives people with disabilities and address their needs—whether visible or hidden. Our committee's vision is to make chemistry accessible to all. People with disabilities offer unique perspectives in solving problems. Examples of scientists who had disabilities and made enormous contributions to science include Joseph Priestley, Humphry Davy, and Stephen Hawking. The achievements of people with disabilities not only advance scientific knowledge but also promote diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Despite their contributions, the societal stigma around disability persists. ACS serves as the gold standard for diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) among professional societies. Recently, I spoke at a conference on the topic of respect, the fundamental aspect of DEIR.