Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

ACM's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council is an essential resource for SIGs, conferences, boards, and councils looking for best practices to improve diversity in their organization and develop programs with a broader reach in the computing community. Our guide provides examples of both inherent and acquired characteristics, which should be taken into consideration when looking at ways to improve the diversity of your team.

As part of ACM’s efforts to combat exclusion in the computing profession, ACM's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council has launched an effort to replace offensive or exclusionary terminology in the computing field. They have developed a list of computing terms to be avoided in professional writing and presentations and offer alternative language. The Council plans to expand this list in the future and invites the community to submit suggestions for consideration.

In this Tapia Conference panel, ACM CEO Vicki Hanson moderates a discussion with ACM Awards Committee Co-Chair Roy Levin and Awards Committee members Stephanie Ludi and Timothy Pinkston concerning the need to nominate deserving and diverse individuals for Awards and ACM Advanced Member Grades. This panel provides an understanding of ACM’s Awards process from submission to selection, with specific tips for working as a community to develop nominations.

The open exchange of ideas is central to ACM’s mission. This requires an environment that embraces diversity and provides a safe, welcoming environment for all. ACM's Policy Against Harassment applies to all ACM activities, defines expected behavior and explains how to report unacceptable behavior.

The ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct arose from the experiences, values and aspirations of computing professionals around the world, and it captures the conscience of the profession. It affirms an obligation of computing professionals both individually and collectively to use their skills for the benefit of society.

ACM-W is the ACM Community of Support for Women in Computing. ACM-W supports, celebrates, and advocates internationally for the full engagement of women in all aspects of the computing field, providing a wide range of programs and services to ACM members and working in the larger community to advance the contributions of technical women.

In celebration of Iberoamerican Heritage Month 2024, also known as Hispanic Heritage Month, ACM hosted a panel focused on language inclusion in the computer science field. Organized by ACM DEI Council member, Cristiano Maciel, the discussion panel, “Language as Inclusion of Exclusion: Can Artificial Intelligence Make a Difference?” explored ways to reduce language barriers in computer science and how AI can address these disparities in underrepresented languages. Moderated by Indira Guzman, the panel featured Franci Suni, Vinicius Pereira, and Nayat Sanchez-Pi. 

The ever-changing landscape of technology, the computing industry, and resulting societal impacts carry great potential for persons with disabilities. On July 10, 2024, ACM DEI Council hosted the panel, "Accessibility in Computing: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities." Panelists explored a range of topics about the current trends in accessibility in computing and how the industry is incorporating inclusive designs to meet diverse needs. Panelists discussed the gaps in accessibility that technology companies and others should address creating a more inclusive digital space.

In celebration of Pride Month, ACM hosted a panel discussion centered around technological advances and its importance in connecting LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide. Queer users have utilized virtual reality and social media platforms to create a safe environment for community gathering and authentic self-expression. “Virtual Realities: How Tech Can Empower the LGBTQ+ Community,” featured panelists Andreea Danielescu, Sharone Horowit-Hendler, and Michael Ann Devito with Guo Freeman as the moderator. Panelists shared their research on how LGBTQ+ identities and technology intersect.

This talk was a follow-up to the April 19, 2023 webinar with Mehran Sahami of Stanford University, "Confronting Ethical Challenges in a High-Tech World." Sahami and a panel of AI-ML experts from industry and academia—Tulsee Doshi, Susan Epstein, and Kush Varshney—explored some of the ethical questions raised in that session including the role of human values in AI algorithms, bias in AI-ML and the impact of diverse teams in reducing bias, and data privacy. The talk was moderated by Fay Cobb Payton and Susan Reiser of the DEI-CE.

Machine Learning has tremendous potential for developing tools to improve efficiency and accuracy in decision-making. However, ML also has the potential to lead to outcomes that reinforce human biases, disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, and violate notions of privacy. Mehran Sahami and moderators Fay Cobb Payton and Susan Reiser as they explore some of the promise and perils that arise from Machine Learning to understand both some of the ethical issues and competing value trade-offs at stake.

View the webinar, “Language Matters: DEI and the Question of URM,” featuring Nicki Washington of Duke University and Tiffani L. Williams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in discussion on the importance of language to promote inclusive environments for work and study. The webinar was organized by the ACM Education Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Computing Education Task Force and ACM’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, and was moderated by DEI-CE co-chair Fay Cobb Payton.

The second edition of the Latin America Regional Special  is available to read in the August 2024 issue of Communications of the ACM. This edition showcases Latin American researchers' significant contributions to computer science. With 18 papers, topics vary from concurrent data structures, privacy, language technology, and environmental concerns in Latin America. Co-organizers Fabio Kon, Barbara Poblete, and Sebastian Uchitel introduce the Latin America Regional Special Section in this video here.

Over the years, computing has progressed remarkably thanks to the contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds who have incorporated their unique experiences and perspectives into technological advancements. Yet despite these significant contributions, award recognition for individuals from diverse backgrounds remains underrepresented. In "Science Needs You: Mobilizing for Diversity in Award Recognition," co-authors Elizabeth Novoa-Monsalve, David Patterson, Stephanie Ludi, and Daniel E. Acuna offer insights on how to create a more inclusive and equitable system of award recognition within the scientific community.

The first regional special section debuted in the Communication of the ACM in November 2018. The regional special on China exhibited the technological advances conducted by innovators from the region. Since then, CACM contnues to celebrate the many innovations from across the global computing community through a collection of articles curated by a regional team accessible for all to read.