Page 81 - Summer 2021

Scheduling meetings online is more common and often easier to arrange, especially for international collaborations.
What Have We Learned?
Survey participants reported that the pandemic has made them look at life from a different perspective, work more independently, adapt to uncertainties, be more under- standing about technical difficulties, make the most of whatever situation arises, and reflect on things that they took for granted such as in-person interactions. One survey respondent who is hard of hearing raised a par- ticularly important point about accessibility:
“The pandemic has radically changed the experience of living with hearing loss. We no longer need to navi- gate noisy crowds, but we have to deal with face masks muffling sound. Normal-hearing people who are now struggling to hear people with masks have a greater appreciation for good communication practices. I hope that those lessons translate into better accessibility even after the pandemic.”
Conclusions
ASA members have shared their experiences with work productivity and enjoyment, communication, opportuni- ties for career advancement, and dependent care as the pandemic has impacted their lives. After considering the dataset from different angles, several subgroups stand out as having been most significantly impacted by the pan- demic. Students reported the highest negative changes in work productivity and communication. Students and those in the first five years of their career expressed the most negative impact in terms of opportunities for advancing their careers. Respondents who are currently unemployed (n = 10) are struggling the most in all areas at this time. With regard to gender, more women than men reported increased difficulties with work productivity, work enjoyment, opportunities to advance, and, in particular, dependent care. The closure of laboratories, restrictions on human subject testing, lack of in-person meetings for collaborations, networking, and sales, and transitioning to online classes have had a significant impact on many. Finally, those with children at home have in many cases felt overwhelmed by the continual flux and overall lack of childcare and/or the demands of remote schooling.
This survey highlights our collective need to share our individual pandemic experience. Although the majority
have experienced increased hardships, some report more positive outcomes. Every experience is valid and should be respected. Further details on the survey results can be found at (bit.ly/2PRNwhY). We thank all who partici- pated in the survey and encourage each of us to consider how we can support those most impacted by the pan- demic and what lessons we can take with us to improve life beyond the pandemic.
Contact Information
Tracianne B. Neilsen tbn@byu.edu
Department of Physics and Astronomy Brigham Young University
N251 ESC
Provo, Utah 84602, USA
Bonnie K. Lau blau@uw.edu
Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery University of Washington
Box 357923
Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
Summer 2021 • Acoustics Today 81