Currently the deaf community in Mexico faces, among other challenges, the barrier to access STEM areas due to the lack of signs in Mexican Sign Language (LSM; Lengua de Señas Mexicana) for scientific and technical terms, in our case related to Astronomy. This generates other problems like limited or no access to scientific information, that also violates their human right to knowledge but also limits their access to these areas as a professional path, which reduces the diversity in the STEM workforce and the representation for future generations.
During the first phase of our project we found that less than 10% (8 words) of around 120 astronomical concepts have already a recognized and used sign in LSM. Even commonly used terms in basic education (like the names of the planets) lack a sign in LSM, being not surprising that more complex or advanced concepts are totally new to most people (deaf and hearing alike). We used as base the 2 comparative lists published by the IAU Executive Committee Working Group on Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion in 2017 and 2021. This phase consisted in 9 in-person workshops with the deaf community in Puebla, where we covered and explained the concepts of the lists and also created a YouTube channel that for the moment consists of 24 videos: 8 for words that already have a sign in LSM with a brief LSM explanation of these and other 8 concepts that do not have a sign yet. This phase was part of the Women and Girls in Astronomy Program 2023 of the North American Regional Office of the Office for Astronomy for Development funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation.
Accessibility and inclusion begins with language, so our proposed solution is to create online materials in LSM working with the deaf community in Puebla, Mexico. We plan to have weekly in-person sessions with a working group of the deaf community in Puebla to explain, discuss, design scripts and agree on a proposed sign in LSM for around 50 astronomical terms and concepts. Ideally we wish to work with people that took part in the first phase, because they are already acquainted with these concepts, if new people join us each session will provide a brief explanation of them. For each concept and after the discussion session, we will record 2 videos: one explaining it in LSM, providing basic information about it and another one with the proposed sign. With the aid of the first video the deaf community could decide if our proposed sign is suitable for the concept and use it, if not, they could create a new sign for it. We expect to cover around 50 of the astronomical concepts previously mentioned.
To enrich the experience for the participants we are planning on having 2 events: one at the beginning that will also serve as an invitation to prior or new participants to take part in the project (a guided visit with LSM interpretation to the Planetarium of Puebla) and one near the end of the project (an astronomical night with the support of telescope owners).
