Ontario Summit for Students with Disabilities

9:35 a.m.

Keynote Address: Under the Luminiferous Veil; from Invisibly “Sclerosed”, to Abruptly Diagnosed, and Visibly Composed

This keynote begins with my own story as a student and scientist shaped by intersecting identities, disabilities, and academic cultures. Living with multiple sclerosis and ADHD, much of my early experience of disability was invisible, though felt deeply, and often unrecognized or dismissed by those around me. I draw on the allegory of the luminiferous aether to describe this phase of my life. The aether can be described as a subtle and unseen veil, pervading all space, through which light moves as a wave moves through water, its presence inferred not by sight but by consequence. 

From this personal and intersectional grounding, I trace how these experiences shaped my path into research. Navigating fluctuating access needs, cognitive variability, and systemic exclusions did not simply pose barriers, but fundamentally influenced how I came to ask questions, choose methods, and define rigor in my research. I examine how moments in my life brought my invisible struggles into light (sometimes abruptly into a spotlight) and how this shift altered my relationship with science, productivity, and belonging. 

Ultimately, this keynote argues that life circumstances are not peripheral to academic work, but foundational to it.

Speaker: Urja Henry Nandivada