Diversity in STEM Review: draft recommendations

Dear Science Strategy and Priorities Taskforce, 15/08/2023

Re: Feedback on the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review: Draft recommendations

Thank you for your time and consideration of my feedback submission.

In the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review: Draft recommendations, page 33, there is only one quote and it is a negative one about people with disabilities. Without balance, this can feed into the negative biases against employing and training people with disabilities. A positive and forward-thinking quote highlighted as much should be given in this section.

For example, from research into the perspectives of Australian managers and employers about dyslexic employees, Wissell et al. (2022) wrote, “Overwhelmingly, leaders felt that when dyslexic employees had access to appropriate reasonable adjustments, they made a significant and positive contribution to their workplaces which could lead to improved economic outcomes for employers and society in general.”

I assume, dyslexic academics like our Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley, Emeritus Professor Keith
Houghton of the ANU, past Dean of the College of Business and Economics and Director of the National
Graduate School of Management, or Professor Rufus Black, Vice-Chanellor of the University of
Tasmania, and would be able to attest to this quoted statement.

Dyslexics are underrepresented in STEM, universities and the greater workforce, are likely the largest cohort living with a disability, there are notable famous and highly achieved dyslexic STEM people
(easy to Google search many examples), and about 10% of Australians are born dyslexic. This means a positive quote exampling dyslexics is practical and poignant as everyone will know someone who is dyslexic (i.e. someone who has struggled to learn due to barriers within mainstream education), and specifically within STEM this is no exception (even if they are unaware of it; dyslexia is known as a
‘hidden disability’).

I am severely dyslexic and a PhD candidate in STEM at the University of Adelaide, and I know two STEM academics at my university who are ‘silently dyslexic’. Unlike these two academics, I am too dyslexic to hide my neurodiversity within academia. I had to advocate for myself with my university for some critical accommodations (initially I was knocked back, but I fought and won). I am performing fine now because of my appropriate reasonable adjustments, and because my supervisors are understanding.

Kindest regards,

WSHGoh
William Goh
PhD Candidate
Gillanders Aquatic Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences
The University of Adelaide, SA 5005 Australia ph: +618 8313 6067 email: william.goh@adelaide.edu.au

Wissell, S.; Karimi, L.; Serry, T.; Furlong, L.; Hudson, J. Leading Diverse Workforces: Perspectives from Managers and Employers about Dyslexic Employees in Australian Workplaces. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19,
11991. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911991