3 ms·

There’s no proof that making everyone make such statements waters them down. It might also just make everyone actually think about ways their labs and mentorshi

There’s no proof that making everyone make such statements waters them down. It might also just make everyone actually think about ways their labs and mentorship style might exclude people and adjust accordingly. I think an autistic professor who writes about making a genuine commitment into supporting other autistic students and actually following through with that is just as competitive as other professors who may lie about it, because autistic people are just as capable of success as neurotypical. In fact I’m willing to be that autistic professor will be even more so, because they are going to foster amazing students that other ableist professors overlook.

Pannoniae 3y ago
It creates pushback though... even when some people are generally sympathetic to inclusion and those general goals, a forced statement might make them push back and say "fuck it I hate this and I won't be taking it seriously". I think the best way of promoting inclusivity is offering incentives for doing so (not necessarily financial by the way - even small things like events or postcards help!) and creating a healthy atmosphere. Trying to make a polarised and generally toxic atmosphere inclusive only furthers the divide and the polarisation.