Is ASBH truly committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?
ASBH Annual Meeting Faces Accessibility Concerns
The American Society for Bioethics and the Humanities (ASBH) is currently hosting its annual meeting, but concerns about accessibility and affordability are being raised by scholars, activists, and community organizers.
The high registration fee of $695 for non-members is a significant barrier for many individuals, particularly those with limited discretionary budgets or those outside academia. This cost may also prevent early career scholars, scholars from underrepresented populations, and those from less resourced institutions from attending, exacerbating existing challenges.
The ASBH annual meeting may also be inaccessible to individuals with disabilities due to certain conference activities like cocktail parties and large networking events. To address this issue, making a subset of event recordings publicly available is an initial step to improving accessibility. Favoring session proposals that include patients, study participants, advocacy groups, and community leaders and organizers is another step in the right direction.
To further promote inclusivity, ASBH should consider offering day passes for attendees at reduced rates, waiving registration fees for presenters, and institutionalizing "listening sessions" that foster a safe space for identifying issues, root causes, and paths forward. Offering complimentary registration to first-time conference goers is also an effective way to improve accessibility.
The ASBH's strategic initiative includes fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in bioethics. However, it's worth noting that the high cost of the annual meeting may make it inaccessible to community organizers, activists, and non-profit organizations. Establishing relationships and building networks can be challenging in such an environment.
ASBH might also consider holding smaller regional events in addition to the national conference. These regional events could provide a platform for scholars to submit full papers for feedback in a workshop format, helping to address the challenges faced by early career scholars navigating the complex ASBH annual meeting with little formal support.
Organizations involved in "Listening Sessions" fostering a safe atmosphere for identifying problems and solutions include diverse membership groups such as young people, disabled individuals, and minorities. While specific other organizations or individuals beyond ASBH are not explicitly named, it's clear that collaboration and inclusivity are key to addressing these concerns.
In conclusion, while the ASBH annual meeting offers valuable opportunities for discussion and collaboration in the field of bioethics, it's crucial that the society takes steps to ensure it is accessible and affordable for all, particularly those from underrepresented groups and those outside academia. Non-members, especially those outside of academic institutions, should be given the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether ASBH is a community they want to be a part of.
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