Dr. Sears elected to chair special interest group on accessible computing

Date Posted: - 7/29/2009

Dr. Andrew Sears, Chair, Department of Information Systems at UMBC, has been elected to Chair the ACM Special Interest Group on Accessible Computing (SIGACCESS) through 2012.

ACM’s SIGACCESS, promotes the interests of professionals working on research and development of computing and information technology to help persons 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. Research interests of SIGACCESS members include advanced technologies, assistive technologies, and design for individuals with disabilities. The group also strives to educate the public to support careers for persons with disabilities.

Dr. Sears, whose research focus is in Human-Centered Computing (HCC), recently joined the IJHCS editorial board which comprises nearly 40 members from around the world. Dr. Sears is also Co-Editor in Chief of the ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, a quarterly journal that publishes refereed articles addressing issues of computing as it impacts the lives of people with disabilities. He is the Constellation Professor of Information Technology and Engineering and Director of the Interactive Systems Research Center, www.isrc.umbc.edu.