Accessibility by design
We remove barriers before they appear, applying universal design to our lab spaces, our training and the way we share our science.
BEaTS Research
Accessibility and Inclusive Excellence
We welcome you, and we embrace you to be who you really are.
Our commitment
Everyone belongs here. Different perspectives make better science.
Our approach
What inclusive excellence means at BEaTS
People of different cultures, abilities, genders and ways of thinking bring different questions and better solutions to complex health and engineering problems.
Everyone belongs
Our team welcomes people of every culture, ability, gender and neurotype, and we support each person to do their best work.
Partners, not participants
Persons with disabilities and historically underserved communities are full partners in how research is designed, carried out and shared.
Open and accessible science
Open-access hardware, plain-language science communication and BEaTS Research Radio make our work available to everyone.
Mentors as allies
We train the next generation of scientists in inclusive practices, and mentor with the understanding that support looks different for each person.
Social accountability
We ask who our research serves, and who it leaves out, and we use those answers to shape what we do next.
Leadership
Leading change in biomedicine
MASc in Accessibility in Biomedicine
A first-of-its-kind program in Canada at the uOttawa Faculty of Medicine, launching in fall 2027. It trains scientists and health professionals to co-create, implement and evaluate inclusive practices in biomedical and medical settings.
Learn about the programAnti-ableism and accessibility
Dr. Emilio Alarcón chairs the Royal Society of Canada Working Group on Anti-Ableism and Accessibility, and leads Accessibility in Action, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education.
Mentors as allies for disabled scientists
A commentary by Dr. Alarcón in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering (2025) on how mentors can open doors in science.
Read the articleInclusive excellence at uOttawa
We are part of the University of Ottawa's commitment to equity, diversity and inclusive excellence: a campus where everyone feels respected, valued and supported.
Visit uOttawa EDIEWe pay respect to the Algonquin people, who are the traditional guardians of this land. We acknowledge their longstanding relationship with this territory, which remains unceded.
We acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past and present and dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in the spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.
We acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past and present and dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in the spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.
Want to join an inclusive team?
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and abilities. Tell us what you need to do your best work.