An enigma caught in a conundrum faced participants on the Trek Track panel “Creating an Accessible Starfleet Vessel” at Hilton Galleria 2-3, Sunday at 10AM. Jamie Bernstein moderated the discussion among panelists Cheralyn Lambeth, Andrew Lichtenhan, CRASH, and Iro. Accessibility, usually conceived as a problem for humans dealing with human environments, expands exponentially with the multiple worlds and multiple species explored or introduced in Star Trek series. 

Lambeth noted that you can view access issues applying only to the disabled, but you can apply the issues to all in varying degrees. Iro added that different planets will integrate all equally. Lichtenhan called the issues presented as “access to enablement.” 

Difficulties experienced by humans in alien environments and those considered alien incorporated into human settings were examined. A photo survey of such alien species generated ideas that expanded accessibility issues in a science fiction setting. Also included were aliens that might need accessibility in human-created settings.  

Aliens considered, followed by their possible accommodations, included: 

• Brikars: very large aliens accommodated by non-standard uniforms that solved size and temperature requirements, larger passageways, and unique seating for duty on bridge. 

• Aenar and Betazoids: implants that partially, but not completely, block telepathy or empathy inputs, and pathways that react with tactile and audio signals to guide almost blind Aenar. 

• Bajorans: accommodation for traditional religious beliefs by allowing adornment with religious symbols or religiously acceptable attire worn for uniforms. 

• Sentient Androids: allow room for experimentation with new feelings, experiences. 

• Vulcans and Klingons: accommodations for habitual repression of emotion or extreme expression of emotions at culturally/physically mandated periods. 

• Cetaceans: provision of aquatic suits and tanks of various sizes up to and including flooding of entire ships. 

• Puppets: providing alternates to non-workable, for puppets, touch screens and access based on heights and sizes or configurations of puppets. 

Humans located in alien environments also presented additional access problems, as you can imagine. The whole panel had us thinking differently about spaceships and the various accommodations all species might need.