The Equersa Accessibility Fellowship 2026 is a major initiative designed to support individuals with disabilities who are part of—or adjacent to—the global Research Software Engineering (RSE) community. This fellowship provides an opportunity for disabled researchers, technologists, and contributors to participate in one of three major regional conferences: Research Software Asia Australia (RSAA26), Research Software Africa (RSAfrica26), and Research Software Latinoamérica (RSLA26).
This program aims not only to increase representation but also to ensure that accessibility remains a central priority in the planning and execution of these online events. Fellows will contribute firsthand insights that strengthen accessibility practices across all regions.
Purpose of the Fellowship
The Equersa Accessibility Fellowship was created to:
- Encourage participation from individuals who are blind, have low vision, are deaf, hard of hearing, or have other disabilities.
- Ensure that the conferences remain accountable and inclusive.
- Bring diverse accessibility perspectives into the RSE community.
- Support individuals who have experienced career disruptions due to disability, caregiving, medical conditions, unemployment, or limited access to resources.
- Strengthen the global RSE ecosystem by including voices from Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, and Latin America.
What Fellows Will Do
Each selected fellow will:
- Attend their regional online conference with a free event ticket.
- Receive an initial payment before the event.
- Participate actively during the conference, ideally posting updates on Mastodon to share real-time insights.
- Produce a short open-access blog or report after the event, which will be published on platforms such as Figshare or Zenodo.
- Have their report included in the official event summary.
Selection Criteria
The selection process gives equal weight to three major criteria:
1. Disability and Use of Assistive Technology
Applicants may qualify if they:
- Are blind or have low vision
- Are deaf or hard of hearing
- Have another disability
- Use a screen reader, refreshable braille display, or alternative communication system
2. Career Disruptions
Applicants who have experienced any of the following are encouraged to apply:
- Disabilities affecting career progression
- Caring responsibilities
- Medical conditions
- Unemployment
- Limited or no access to facilities, tools, or resources
3. Technical or Community Involvement
Applicants should be part of—or connected to—one of the following communities or fields:
- RSE Asia
- RSE Australia/New Zealand
- RSE Africa
- RSE Latinoamérica
- Open science
- Open-source software
- Software development
- Data engineering
- Data curation
- Data analysis
Note: Applicants do not need to meet all criteria. The fellowship strongly encourages applications from anyone who feels they may qualify.
Application Deadline
June 26, 2026
For more information about this opportunity and to apply visit here
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