Skip to main content
Queen Mary Academy

Mobility access in Laboratory classes in Chemistry

An image of a wheelchair user moving along a corridor
Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels
Lesley Howell profile picture

Dr Lesley Howell

Director of Education and Reader In Pharma And Medicinal Chemistry

Laboratory classes are a fundamental component of any chemistry degree. All of our students need to be able to attend and successfully complete laboratory classes.

Responding to a need

All Chemistry programmes at Queen Mary are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry and, as part of this, there is a requirement for our undergraduate students to complete 300 hours of laboratory time during a 3-year BSc programme. Therefore, all students must be able to attend and complete laboratory classes successfully.

The project

During the refurbishment of the Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Lab, an adaptable Fume Cupboard was installed (Fume Hood number 11) which is able to be moved up and down (by 12cm) thus allowing a wheelchair user to be able to access and use the hood effectively.An adaptable Fume Cupboard in the Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Lab

The teaching lab itself is on the ground floor and there is step free access to the lab. The doors to the lab and inside the lab are all a minimum of 900 mm (and in most cases are wider) which allows wheelchair access. There are toilet facilities on the same floor as well.

All of this means that the Chemistry UG teaching Lab is fully accessible to a wheelchair user or someone with a mobility disability. These adjustments ensure all of our UG programmes in the Department of Chemistry are accessible and that students enrolled who do have mobility issues are still able to complete the practical chemistry side of the course that is a requirement of the Royal Society of Chemistry Accreditation.

Back to top