Cardiff PhD student champions deaf accessibility in higher education at the British Mathematical Colloquium
23 July 2026
Naomi Wray’s talk at the principal pure mathematical conference in the UK advocated for high-impact changes to improve inclusive practices for deaf students
Naomi delivered her talk at the 77th British Mathematical Colloquium (BMC), hosted by the School of Mathematics in the Abacws building.
Naomi was delighted to be speaking in the Outreach section alongside notable individuals such as Professor Chris Budd (University of Bath) and Professor Kevin Houston (University of Leeds).
As a profoundly deaf wearer of Cochlear Implants, Naomi elected to pivot her talk, titled Being positive deaf-inite in maths communication, around the topic of deaf accessibility in higher education.
Naomi, a PhD student in the Geometry, Algebra, Mathematical Physics, and Topology group, said: “It was an honour to give a talk on accessibility for deaf students at one of the UK’s leading mathematical conferences and to highlight the leaky pipeline of deaf students who enter University in the UK.
“One in 4 deaf students leave university with no recognised qualification, compared to 6% of hearing students. Evidence shows the support for these students in further education is not enough to keep them in the field, especially with the current standard format of teaching relying so heavily on auditory information.
“However, there are changes that academics can easily implement that will make a real difference for deaf students in higher education.”
One of the main conclusions of Naomi’s talk was that the onus for ensuring accessibility at academic events must be shifted to organisers, as opposed to participants who may feel embarrassment about speaking.
Proposed changes include wearing a microphone, interrupting the speaker if they cannot be heard, and communicating in advance with the speaker about accessibility requirements from attendees.
Following the talk, a guidance document was created and this has subsequently been circulated within the School of Mathematics and with other institutions. The talk was well received by key members of the Academy of Mathematical Sciences, the Isaac Newton Institute, and Naomi has been invited by the London Mathematical Society to write an article for an upcoming Newsletter. Look out for Naomi in the September issue!
