Computer Science by all, for all
Disabled people and those with chronic and debilitating illness have excelled in computer science just like in other subjects. This dates back to the 19th century. Computer Science is not just about computers but about computation. Even before Charles Babbage was trying to design a first, Victorian general purpose computer, others were exploring computational subjects including teenager Louis Braille as he designed a way for blind people to read. Since then many disabled, neurodiverse and others with a variety of conditions have been outstanding computer scientists or done work that computer scientists have built on. Because of its nature, building things for people, Computer Science is only strengthened by the input from those of all needs.
In space no one can hear you …
Johanna Lucht could do maths before she learned language. Why? Because she was born deaf and there was little support for deaf people where she lived. Despite, or perhaps because of, that she became a computer scientist and works for NASA. (Read on)
Braille, binary, bits and bytes
We take for granted that computers use binary: to represent numbers, letters, or more complicated things like music and pictures…any kind of information. Binary wasn’t invented for computers though. Its first modern use as a way to represent letters was actually invented in the first half of the 19th century. It is still used today: Braille, invented by the blind teenager Louis Braille. (Read on)
Temple Grandin: The Devil is in the Detail: Lessons from Animal Welfare
What can Computer Scientists learn from a remarkable woman and the improvements she made to animal welfare and the meat processing industry? Temple Grandin is an animal scientist – an animal welfare specialist and a remarkable innovator on top. She has extraordinary abilities that allow her to understand animals in ways others can’t … (read on)
More to come (of course)
Find more diverse diversity on our diversity pages here.
CS4FN Issue 29: Diversity
Issue 29 of the CS4FN magazine focusses on Diversity will be out later this year. Read the articles online here as well as finding related links .… (Coming Soon)
Diversity Day by Day
We are gradually linking all our diversity stories to the calendar to give links day by day to relevant stories and people of all backgrounds. It is also helping us find new stories. (To see what we have filled in so far…Read on).
This blog is funded by EPSRC on grant EP/W033615/1.
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