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Part of creating an accessible computing field is ensuring that people with disabilities can participate in all aspects of computing research—from attending professional conferences, to reading and writing articles, to volunteering within the community. The computing research community just took an important step in this direction when it invited us (Soraia Prietch and Stacy Branham) to serve as the inaugural on the organization’s Executive Committee. ACM SIGCHI is the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction, comprising nearly 3,000 students, academics, and professionals. The Executive Committee, which runs the organization, created the Adjunct Chair for Accessibility position to further its strategic initiative to .

is a professor at the Federal University of Rondonopolis in Brazil, and is an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine. Together, we have dedicated over 20 years to advancing accessible computing through our research, teaching, and service. When we stepped into our role as Adjunct Chairs of Accessibility this past October 2020, the organization was already highly engaged in , with initiatives such as for accommodations at conferences, creating processes for screen-reader, and requiring virtual conferences to . Additionally, independent volunteer efforts such as have been advocating for accessibility on behalf of SIGCHI members with disabilities, including a that tracks the state of access.

The next several months will be crucial as we craft a plan for advancing accessibility in computing research in 2021. We are eager to learn from the members of AccessComputing in order to collectively build an understanding of how SIGCHI can provide more equal opportunities for students with disabilities. Please contact us at sigchi-access@acm.org if you have any recommendations, resources, or questions.