To understand the educational methods used for addressing the visually impaired, we visited the Carl-Strehl Highschool. We took part in their science classes and later teamed up with teachers to explore the various tactile representations they use to convey complex scientific phenomena and processes.

Some of us experienced the difficulty of orientating in a room or understand a simple picture merely by its raised outline without your eyesight. This blindfolded self-test also taught us, that the design of raised models of something we normally would make a flat picture of, is far from easy. We tried to grasp the context of a single picture only by its convex outlines. And we miserably failed to identify the simple drawing of an elephant. Now imagine how difficult complex scientific processes, like cloning or charge transfers, could be conveyed just by touch. As an additional hurdle, perspective cannot be used in these tactile graphics. For a blind person, there are no clues to indicate depth, removing this normally useful feature.

We learned that small class size, one-on-one interactions, and teamwork amongst students with differing levels of eyesight were more effective than constant professional support. Furniture is arranged sensibly to improve acoustics and safe maneuverability. To simplify navigation, all rooms are based in part on the same layout. Everything was designed to ensure the highest autonomy possible for the students.

Smart tools also play an important role in the classroom. Students have personalized laptops and take pictures of chalkboards or presentations with their smartphones to be able to zoom in to magnify details.

Our visit allowed first insights on how to approach the design of our laboratory open days and enabled us to get to know students we would later tutor.

Furthermore, we could collect first experiences as tutors by volunteering at Marburg's public Hands-on-Science Lab on the Day of the Visually Impaired. An advanced group of students, just before their A-levels, par-took in experiments to investigate the chemical differences in reactions of the same type. They displayed an analytical and observing mind, a funded knowledge that could put some university students to shame. Being amazed by their passion for science, we decided to devote not one, but two whole laboratory days with study-relevant content to give them a realistic look at the natural sciences in higher education.

In addition to these local experiences, we did broad research online to find additional information. It turns out that, in the English-speaking world, a number of helpful guides for laboratory work as a blind or visually impaired researcher do exist. Not so in Germany. These websites inspired further methods to be applied in a fully accessible laboratory.

Fortunately, our University is open to creative inclusive ideas. After some discussion, we convinced our Departments to allow two experimental open days for a small group of visually impaired under our supervision.

Since our project is about interdisciplinary approaches to synthetic biology, we chose to design experiments showcasing aspects of biology and chemistry when introducing, Vibrio natriegens.

Throughout, we discussed our plans and layouts with the respective teachers and gained insights from consulting an educational lecturer of our chemistry department who is heavily involved with inclusive projects. In consensus with their feedback and our first-hand experiences, both days took place in the same laboratory and seminar room to make adapting as easy as possible for our students. We put great emphasis on safety by ensuring that lab coats, and if necessary safety goggles, were worn at all times.
Also, we guaranteed unobstructed walkways and aided fully blind students through their new environment. The nine visiting students were divided into three groups to make assisting more simple.

To spread the news about iGEM, we first introduced our attendees to the competition before moving on to the basics of our project. We explained the essence of synthetic biology, emulating engineering disciplines and what we use bacteria for in the laboratory. Wanting to amaze the students with Vibrio natriegens we set up two different growth experiments together. The goal for the three lab groups was to find out whether they worked with E. coli or Vibrio natriegens.

The students used their specialized laptops with our provided data sheets and explanation to keep track of the data they obtained for the optical density over time.
Most of them had guessed the result even before the final analysis of the growth curve. So even blind high schoolers can tell the benefits of V. natriegens over E. coli. To make the results even more tactile, we weaved an enlarged wire grid on a cork board and used thumbtacks for the individual data points. These were then connected with string - so you could practically feel the growth of V. natriegens. Although we like to emphasize that the visually impaired can handle their way around a laboratory, we enhanced the experience for the students by addressing other senses than just the eyes. We implemented equipment with acoustic outputs like optophones and chemophones into the workflow of the experiments.

However, adaptations needed to simplify existing labware can be easily done by everyone:

• Marking pipettes with different number of textured stickers
• Highlighting volumes with rubber bands or tape
• Locking syringes with thumbtacks at the right volume
• Using different temperatures to tell apart two different solutions
• Use tape as guidelines on your bench for the positioning of lab equipment

but many more tricks are available with some creativity and practical thinking.

Together, we observed the change in conductivity during a titration and tracked the color change of indicators. The optometer was then used to determine the pH of the solution and if the equivalence point was already met. To investigate exemplary esterifications, a commonly used reaction in the food and pharmaceutical industry, but also an easy method in the follow-up chemistry of 3HPA. Displaying a distinctive and often pleasant smell, many esters can be identified by adding such an olfactory dimension to the experiments. This aided the acoustic output of the chemophone and optophone.

After this chemical introduction we moved on to the synthesis of aspirin one of the most common pharmaceuticals of the world. We taught the pupils how they can identify their own product by breaking it apart again. A complexation reaction was utilized to react to chemical changes of the target molecule, leaving us with color response that could once more be translated to sound.

After our Open Laboratory Days, it didn't feel right to us to just give the pupils a taste of how much fun it can be to experiment without giving them a perspective on how to get there themselves. At first, we to had no idea how a student with poor to no vision should be able to study biology or chemistry, subjects that are still very much like artisan work, where seeing what you do is so important.