SIGACCESS

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
In 1964, the <a href="/facts/Association_for_Computing_Machinery/abI2atlP">Association for Computing Machinery</a> started a Committee on Professional Activities for the Blind, which published a newsletter for four years and organized a conference in 1969. The purpose of the committee was to promote and support <a href="/facts/Blind_people/sFuqKj3n">blind people</a> as capable programmers.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a> The committee broadened its focus to include other people with disabilities and became the "Special Interest Group on Computers and the Physically Handicapped" (SIGCAPH) in 1971.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a>
In 2003, the SIG was renamed to SIGACCESS.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a>

<h2 id="conferences">Conferences</h2>
The ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) is the flagship annual conference. All conference contributions are <a href="/facts/Peer-reviewed/ly6yEgcW">peer-reviewed</a> by an international program committee, and accepted papers, posters and demonstrations are archived in the <a href="/facts/ACM_Digital_Library/abI2atlP">ACM Digital Library</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> All authors of accepted papers will be invited to submit extended versions of their papers to a special issue of the ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS).
SIGACCESS also sponsors other ACM workshops and conferences on a rotating basis.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a>

<h2 id="journal">Journal</h2>
Transactions on Accessible Computing is a quarterly ACM journal that publishes refereed articles about <a href="/facts/Accessible_computing/WgkqJYRL">accessible computing</a>. The journal places emphasis on contributions with experimental results, but also accepts papers with new theoretical insights or positions.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a>
SIGACCESS also publishes the Accessibility and Computing newsletter.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a>

<h2 id="awards">Awards</h2>
<h3>ASSETS Paper Impact Award</h3>
The ASSETS Paper Impact Award is given to authors whose papers have made a significant impact on the field. Papers must be at least ten years old to be considered.

<ul><li>2023 - Empowering individuals with do-it-yourself assistive technology; Author(s): Amy Hurst and Jasmine Tobias. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a></li>
<li>2021 - Disability studies as a source of critical inquiry for the field of assistive technology; Author(s): Jennifer Mankoff, Gillian R. Hayes, and Devva Kasnitz. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a></li>
<li>2019 - Slide rule: making mobile touch screens accessible to blind people using multi-touch interaction techniques; Author(s): Shaun K. Kane, Jeffrey P. Bigham, and Jacob O. Wobbrock. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a></li>
<li>2017 - Providing access to graphical user interfaces—not graphical screens; Author(s): W. Keith Edwards, Elizabeth Mynatt and Kathryn Stockton <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a></li>
<li>2015 - Designing for Dynamic Diversity: Interfaces for Older People; Author(s): Peter Gregor, Alan Newell, and Mary Zajicek <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a></li>
<li>2013 - User Interface of a Home Page Reader; Author(s): Chieko Asakawa and Takashi Itoh <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a></li></ul>
<h3>Outstanding Contribution to Computing and Accessibility Award</h3>
The <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/category/news/awards/outstanding-contribution/">Outstanding Contribution award</a> is given in even-numbered years and recipients give a keynote presentation at the following ASSETS conference.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a>
Previous recipients:

<ul><li>2024 - <a href="/facts/Chieko_Asakawa/czYuQxGr">Chieko Asakawa</a></li>
<li>2022 - <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2022/09/clayton-lewis-outstanding-contribution-recipient-2022/">Clayton Lewis</a></li>
<li>2020 - <a href="/facts/Jonathan_Lazar/VKM3m9hu">Jonathan Lazar</a></li>
<li>2018 - <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2018/07/judy-brewer-outstanding-contribution-recipient-2018/">Judy Brewer</a></li>
<li>2016 - <a href="/facts/Richard_E._Ladner/A7RVNzM2">Richard E. Ladner</a></li>
<li>2014 - <a href="/facts/Vicki_L._Hanson/UfdYK3hl">Vicki L. Hanson</a></li>
<li>2012 - <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2012/04/john-gardner-outstanding-contribution-recipient-2012/">John A. Gardner</a></li>
<li>2010 - <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2010/04/albert-cook-outstanding-contribution-recipient-2010/">Albert M. Cook</a></li>
<li>2008 - <a href="/facts/James_Thatcher_(computer_scientist)/5jgMB3yg">James Thatcher</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Hanson, Vicki L (2017). "ACM's Commitment to Accessibility". Communications of the ACM. 60 (3): 7. doi:10.1145/3047268. Retrieved 5 May 2017. <a href="https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2017/3/213833-acms-commitment-to-accessibility/fulltext" target="_blank">https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2017/3/213833-acms-commitment-to-accessibility/fulltext</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Sterling, Theodor D.; Lichstein, M.; Scarpino, F.; Stuebing, D. (1 April 1964). "Professional Computer Work for the Blind". Communications of the ACM. 7 (4): 228–230. doi:10.1145/364005.364054. ISSN 0001-0782. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145%2F364005.364054" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1145%2F364005.364054</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Petrick, Elizabeth (1 January 2012). "Fulfilling the promise of the personal computer : the development of accessible computer technologies, 1970-1998". UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations. UC San Diego. Retrieved 5 May 2017. <a href="http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6242116r" target="_blank">http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6242116r</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Petrick, Elizabeth (1 January 2012). "Fulfilling the promise of the personal computer : the development of accessible computer technologies, 1970-1998". UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations. UC San Diego. Retrieved 5 May 2017. <a href="http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6242116r" target="_blank">http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6242116r</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"The International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility". ACM ASSETS 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017. <a href="http://assets17.sigaccess.org/" target="_blank">http://assets17.sigaccess.org/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"Related Conferences". SIGACCESS. Retrieved 5 May 2017. <a href="http://www.sigaccess.org/assets/related-conferences/" target="_blank">http://www.sigaccess.org/assets/related-conferences/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"TACCESS". ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing. ACM. Retrieved 5 May 2017. <a href="http://www.rit.edu/gccis/taccess/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.rit.edu/gccis/taccess/index.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Newsletter". SIGACCESS. Retrieved 5 May 2017. <a href="http://www.sigaccess.org/category/news/newsletter/" target="_blank">http://www.sigaccess.org/category/news/newsletter/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"2023 SIGACCESS ASSETS Paper Impact Award Winner | SIGACCESS". Retrieved 2024-11-11. <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2024/03/2023-paper-impact-award-winner/" target="_blank">https://www.sigaccess.org/2024/03/2023-paper-impact-award-winner/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">"2021 SIGACCESS ASSETS Impact Award Winner | SIGACCESS". Retrieved 2024-02-20. <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2021/11/2021-sigaccess-assets-impact-award-winner/" target="_blank">https://www.sigaccess.org/2021/11/2021-sigaccess-assets-impact-award-winner/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">"2019 SIGACCESS ASSETS Paper Impact Award winner | SIGACCESS". Retrieved 2024-02-20. <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2019/11/2019-sigaccess-assets-paper-impact-award-winner/" target="_blank">https://www.sigaccess.org/2019/11/2019-sigaccess-assets-paper-impact-award-winner/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">"2017 SIGACCESS ASSETS Paper Impact Award winner | SIGACCESS". Retrieved 2024-02-20. <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2017/11/2017-sigaccess-assets-paper-impact-award-winner/" target="_blank">https://www.sigaccess.org/2017/11/2017-sigaccess-assets-paper-impact-award-winner/</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">"2015 SIGACCESS ASSETS Paper Impact Award Winners Announced | SIGACCESS". Retrieved 2024-02-20. <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2015/11/2015-sigaccess-assets-paper-impact-award-winners-announced/" target="_blank">https://www.sigaccess.org/2015/11/2015-sigaccess-assets-paper-impact-award-winners-announced/</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">"Chieko Asakawa and Takashi Itoh: 2013 Impact Award | SIGACCESS". Retrieved 2024-02-20. <a href="https://www.sigaccess.org/2013/10/2013-impact-award/" target="_blank">https://www.sigaccess.org/2013/10/2013-impact-award/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">"SIGACCESS". ACM Awards. Retrieved 6 May 2017. <a href="https://awards.acm.org/sig-awards/sigaccess#h-sigaccess-award-for-outstanding-contributions-to-computing-and-accessibility" target="_blank">https://awards.acm.org/sig-awards/sigaccess#h-sigaccess-award-for-outstanding-contributions-to-computing-and-accessibility</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

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SIGACCESS