SIGCAPH is Renamed SIGACCESS

SIGCAPH, the Association of Computing Machinery's (ACM) Special Interest
Group on Computers and the Physically Handicapped, has been renamed the ACM
Special Interest Group on Accessible Computing (SIGACCESS).


SIGACCESS Helps Aging Boomers Face Workplace Challenges

As anyone knows who has had to lean in to their computer screen to decipher
the text, or felt numbness in their mouse hand, or been confused by the
ever-growing complexity of Web pages, using the computer can be challenging.
This is particularly true for an aging population, which is likely to
experience loss of vision, hearing, memory and mobility in varying degrees.
These conditions can effectively undermine accessibility to valuable
information technology. As older workers become increasingly exposed to
rapidly changing technology in a competitive workplace, understanding their
unique requirements is an area of paramount interest for Association of
Computing Machinery's (ACM) Special Interest Group (SIG) on Accessible
Computing (SIGACCESS). 

Go here for the full story:
http://campus.acm.org/public/membernet/storypage_2.cfm?ci=November_2004&story=7&CFID=32579897&CFTOKEN=25012122



SIGACCESS promotes the professional interests of computing personnel with
disabilities and the application of computing and information technology in
solving relevant disability problems. The SIG also strives to educate the
public to support careers for people with disabilities. The SIG membership
(from both academia and industry) focuses on the application of technologies
to serve the needs of persons with vision, motor, hearing, and speech
impairments; cognitive limitations, including learning disabilities; and
issues of aging. Topics on advanced technologies, assistive technologies, and
design form the core of the research topics. The SIG also strives to educate
the public to support careers for disabled persons.  

http://www.acm.org/sigaccess/



ACM SIGACCESS ASSETS 2004 conference focused on computer-based system design
and its application to the special needs of persons with disabilities. The
conference's scope spanned special needs associated with speech, motor,
hearing, and vision impairments; cognitive limitations; emotional and
learning disabilities; and aging. Researchers and developers, from both
academia and industry, met to exchange ideas and present reports on new
hardware and/or software advances related to these areas. 

http://www.assets.acm.org/

The proceedings of Assets 2004 - The Sixth International ACM SIGACCESS
Conference on Computers and Accessibility held 10/18-20/2004 in Atlanta are
available online at: 

http://portal.acm.org/toc.cfm?id=1028630&idx=SERIES368&type=proceeding&coll=portal&dl=ACM&part=series&WantType=Proceedings&title=ASSETS&CFID=32915866&CFTOKEN=25122206



More about ACM:

Homepage:
http://www.acm.org/

The November 2004 issue of MemberNet:
http://campus.acm.org/public/membernet/issues/index.November_2004.cfm

Information about joining:
http://www.acm.org/joinacm



Contributed by Jane Huggins
