About Us.
The Ocean needs everyone. It does not discriminate; it welcomes people from all backgrounds, abilities, places, and walks of life. All it truly needs are passionate individuals who care.
At the Thalassophile Project, we believe that everybody should have access to the tools, knowledge, and resources needed to explore and protect the Ocean. This is how we empower people to become ocean stewards—by ensuring that access, inclusion, and care are at the heart of our work.
As disability justice activist Mia Mingus reminds us: “‘Disability justice’ is simply another term for love. And so are ‘solidarity,’ ‘access,’ and ‘access intimacy.’ This work for liberation is a practice of love—one of the deepest and most profound there is. The creation of this space is, in itself, an act of love.”
We choose to wield the greatest human superpower—love—in service of the Ocean. Join us in our mission to create an Ocean for all!
We have identified a significant gap in the availability of educational materials in this field that are tailored to d/Deaf and/or visually impaired audiences. This is compounded by a broader lack of awareness within adult education institutions that large groups of citizens are unable to access information, alongside limited opportunities and support for adult educators to deliver barrier-free blue education.
Our seas and the Ocean feed us, regulate our climate, and generate most of the oxygen we breathe. Their importance has been increasingly recognised in recent years, particularly by those seeking to understand climate change and humanity’s role within it. Only by making information accessible to the widest possible audience can we build a critical mass of citizens who are informed, empowered, and able to change their behaviours for the better.
The Thalassophile Project is a partnership of organisations from the fields of accessible pedagogy and marine conservation and research. The core objective of Thalassophile Project is to make an introduction to marine science, marine conservation and so-called ‘Blue Education’ in general, accessible to all European citizens, including those who are d/Deaf and/or visually impaired.
Our Aims.
To improve the accessibility of quality marine education.
To lay the groundwork for inclusive ocean literacy and facilitate a discussion around the barriers people with disabilities face in ocean science.
To create a space where organisations and experts in the fields of accessible pedagogy and marine education can network, so that they understand and can comply with each other’s needs.
How we’ll achieve them.
Agree theoretical and practical frameworks to make marine science and conservation material more accessible to more adult learners.
Create five original Thalassophile Project episodes in line with this framework, and build networks of potential users to test accessibility.
Curate existing educational material in line with this framework, and make inspiring practice accessible to scientific outreach, adult education and conservation educators, via an online database searchable according to audience.
Consolidate this learning in five factsheets for adult educators.
Disseminate to cross-sector stakeholders, and reinforce the importance of climate literacy for behavioural change.