From audit to equitable environment – RDS ESB Science Blast, an event that leaves no child behind
Making the RDS ESB Science Blast one of the most accessible and human-centred experiences for schools in Ireland.
Project overview
At Tilting the Lens, our three core pillars are education, advocacy and design. When they come together, true accessibility is feasible. It’s for this reason that we are very proud to have partnered with the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) to complete an accessibility audit for their landmark student event, ESB Science Blast.
ESB Science Blast is a non-competitive educational programme for primary schools across Ireland aimed at fostering young scientific minds, and to ignite curiosity in STEM learning. Primary school students are invited to work as a class to explore a simple question that science may help to resolve and to exhibit their work at an annual event at the RDS in Dublin. The students also get the chance to see the varied possibilities a career in STEM can offer with a variety of exhibitors from different disciplines that use science in their operations who offer hands-on and fun STEM experiences and demonstrations.
Tilting the Lens worked with the RDS to build upon what is already a well-regarded and thoughtfully executed event, to consider accessibility beyond compliance, evaluating the venue’s physical, sensory, and communication environment through a human-centric lens. By analysing the end-to-end experience for students, educators, and staff, the project sought to identify how a high-capacity, education-focused event can be made truly inclusive for Disabled people.
Science Blast is sponsored by ESB (the Electricity Supply Board in Ireland) and led by RDS (the Royal Dublin Society). The event also tours to venues regionally.
The challenge
The RDS faces the complex task of designing and hosting a large-scale, high-energy event, welcoming thousands of children daily in a historic campus that presents barriers to full participation.
While we were assessing the event as hosted at RDS Dublin, we were also aware that learnings could be carried to the other host venues in Belfast and Limerick. The ESB Science Blast event is one that will live long in the memories of the children who attend and presents an opportunity to demonstrate accessibility and inclusion in action to the thousands of children who take part.
The key challenges included:
The need to maintain the seamless movement of large groups of children through every part of the site from arrival, parking and entrance, navigation through exhibition spaces, and high energy interactive displays and shows, facilitating lunch break, sanitary accommodation, first aid, and safe exit. Prioritising child safeguarding at all times.
The venue is an older multi-purpose warehouse-style large space with high ceilings and no natural light. It is subdivided for the purpose of the ESB Science Blast event but is difficult to manage in respect of noise travel between competing stages, and to facilitate quiet or sensory-friendly zones.
The performative-element shows combine loud noises, bright lights, on-stage and audience participation presenting challenges for sign language interpretation, real-time captioning, audio-description, and for the experience of neurodivergent attendees.
The approach
Tilting the Lens conducted a comprehensive accessibility audit during the event to capture observations during peak event capacity and to witness the real-time barriers in crowd flow and opportunities for participation.
We conducted a zonal analysis, mapping the site as distinct areas, including the exhibition hall, interactive exhibits, performance stages, staff facilities, and sanitary accommodation, identifying pragmatic solutions to address physical, cognitive, and sensorial barriers to accessibility.
Central to our approach to recommendations was the need for communication, including sharing pre-visit illustrated narratives describing what to expect at the event (e.g. noise levels, entry procedures, what a performance looks like) with teachers and students.
Communication recommendations extended to wayfinding and signage at the event, and how some simple changes could improve the overall experience for everyone.
Our approach to the audit was both practical and strategic, and included collaboration with the event management team and staff training to share learning from this event that could apply more widely across the RDS campus, and to align third-party external vendors with RDS accessibility values.
Tilting the Lens advocated for feedback channels to gather input from parents, teachers, and students, specifically focusing on Disabled children’s experiences, to help continuously improve accessibility and ensure the programme meets the needs of all participants.
Following the delivery of a comprehensive report document, a feedback loop meeting with the ESB Science Blast team went through key recommendations with an opportunity to discuss barriers to implementation. Later in the year, the full RDS event team had an opportunity to attend Disability Awareness training. Ahead of planning for the 2026 event, a focus group was facilitated with ESB Science Blast teachers from Additional Educational Needs (AEN) Schools to reflect on their experiences of supporting their students at the event, and to identify any remaining barriers to participation that could be solved for in the future.
Outcome and impact
A school field trip or tour is often a highlight of a student’s experience, but for Disabled students or Disabled teachers, their experience can often be unequal. Trips to zoos, activity centres, or educational events are often planned and booked by those with good intentions, but they may make an assumption that the teacher is non-Disabled, or make a judgement that a Disabled child might be happy to observe, rather than participate.
This project was ambitious to ensure that all children, teachers, guardians, and visitors can engage with the ESB Science Blast programme at the RDS safely, comfortably, and with dignity, and ensure that all of Ireland’s future scientists, innovators, and educators feel seen, supported, and empowered.
“Real inclusion doesn’t happen by accident, it’s something we build together, intentionally and with care. At ESB Science Blast, we want every child to feel that this event is for them, that their curiosity is welcome, and that they can participate fully in the excitement of discovering how the world works. Working with Tilting the Lens has been transformative. Their honesty, expertise, and partnership helped us see our event through new eyes and understand where we could do better. That process felt collaborative, practical, and grounded in a shared belief that inclusion should be lived, not just stated.
We’re committed to continuously improving, listening, and learning so that each year becomes more accessible for every student and educator who walks through our doors. That’s the kind of event and the kind of future we want to create.”
– Amy Harrington, RDS Science and Technology Programme Manager