Laboratory learning is central to STEM education, yet students with disability continue to encounter barriers arising from entrenched cultural practices and legacy laboratory designs not built with accessibility in mind. Case studies across multiple institutions demonstrate that reliance on last-minute “reasonable adjustments” results in ad-hoc arrangements that are often non-ideal for both staff and students, leading to inequitable learning outcomes and psychosocial harm. At the same time, the new Draft Australian Standard AS 2982:2025 Laboratory Design and Construction introduces explicit accessibility requirements mandating universal design principles, ergonomic and task analyses, and safe, independent laboratory access for people with disability. These changes signal a pivotal moment for cultural transformation across higher education.
This presentation emphasises that compliance cannot be achieved through infrastructure alone; it requires a sector-wide cultural shift in how we conceptualise risk, safety, teaching practice, and our obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. Drawing on insights from the Lab Accessibility Community of Practice (LACoP) and Universal Design principles, we illustrate how shared practice, collaborative problem-solving, and proactive design can replace reactive, inconsistent approaches to laboratory inclusion. We will also invite colleagues across disciplines and institutions to re-ignite the national LACoP as a collaborative and supportive community capable of leading the cultural change needed to ensure STEM laboratories are accessible, inclusive, and future-ready.