ACM SIGACCESS Bylaws

BYLAWS of the Special Interest Group on Accessible Computing of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.

  • Adopted: January 4, 1979

  • Updated: October 25, 1995

  • Revised: June 16, 2004

  • Amended: January 30, 2006

  • Amended: August 27, 2018

Article 1. Name and Scope

  1. This organization will be called the Special Interest Group on Accessible Computing (SIGACCESS) of the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. (the ACM).
  2. ACM SIGACCESS supports the international community of researchers and professionals applying computing and information technologies to empower individuals with disabilities and older adults. The SIG also promotes the professional interests of students and computing personnel with disabilities and strives to educate the public to support careers for people with disabilities.

Article 2. Purpose

SIGACCESS is organized and will be operated exclusively for educational, scientific and technical purposes in its specialty. Its services will include:

  1. Collecting and disseminating information in the specialty through a newsletter and other publications approved by the Publications Board of the ACM;
  2. Organizing sessions at conferences of the ACM;
  3. Sponsoring conferences, symposia and workshops;
  4. Organizing working groups for education, research and development;
  5. Serving as a source of technical information for the Council and subunits of the ACM;
  6. Serving as an external technical representative of the ACM when authorized by the Council or the Executive Committee of the ACM; and
  7. Working with subunits of the ACM on technical activities such as lectureships or professional development seminars.

Article 3. Charter

SIGACCESS will exist until dissolved by the Council of the ACM as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM.

Article 4. Officers

  1. SIGACCESS' officers are the Chair, the Vice-Chair and the Secretary-Treasurer. The officers are elected for three-year terms beginning July 1 of election years.
  2. The Chair is the principal officer and is responsible for leading SIGACCESS and managing its activities. The duties of the Chair are:
    1. Calling and presiding at SIGACCESS' Executive Committee and Business meetings;
    2. Conducting SIGACCESS' activities in accordance with the policies of the ACM; and
    3. Making all appointments and filling vacancies as authorized herein.
  3. The duties of the Vice-Chair are:
    1. Assisting the Chair in leading and managing SIGACCESS;
    2. Coordinating conference activities of SIGACCESS; and
    3. Presiding at meetings when the Chair is absent.
  4. The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer are:
    1. Maintaining the records and correspondence of SIGACCESS;
    2. Keeping and distributing the minutes of business and Executive Committee meetings of SIGACCESS; and
    3. Managing SIGACCESS' finances according to the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM. This includes preparing the annual budget, monitoring SIGACCESS' disbursements for adherence to the annual budget, and preparing financial reports as required.

Article 5. The Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee comprises the officers, the Past Chair, the Editor of the SIGACCESS Newsletter, and three appointed members-at-large. No person may hold two positions on the Executive Committee.
  2. The general duties of the Executive Committee will be to advise the Chair on all matters of interest to SIGACCESS. Specific duties or responsibilities may be specified in these bylaws or assigned by the Chair. All the major management policy decisions of SIGACCESS must be approved by the Executive Committee.
  3. All members of, or candidates for, the Executive Committee must be full Members of ACM and of SIGACCESS.

Article 6. Vacancies and Appointments

  1. Should the Chair leave office before his/her term expires, the Vice-Chair will assume the duties of Chair. Should any other office or the position on the Executive Committee reserved for the Past Chair of SIGACCESS become vacant, the Chair of the SIG Board may, on nomination of the Chair of SIGACCESS, fill the vacancy. The Chair may fill vacancies in appointed offices according to the procedures for making the original appointments as provided herein.
  2. Should a vacancy be unfilled, either because of inadequacy of these bylaws or because of a dispute or for any other reason, the SIG Board may fill it (as provided in Bylaw 6 of the ACM).
  3. All appointments expire automatically when the Chair's term of office expires. Appointees, however, will continue to serve until a successor is appointed by a new chair.

Article 7. The Newsletter

  1. SIGACCESS will publish a newsletter at regular intervals as determined by the Executive Committee. The newsletter will be distributed to all SIGACCESS members. Newsletter subscriptions may be sold to nonmembers.
  2. With the advice of the other officers, the Chair will appoint the Editor of the newsletter, who will become a member of the SIGACCESS Executive Committee.

Article 8. Membership, Dues and Voting Privileges

  1. A person becomes a member only after enrolling and paying the required dues. The dues for SIGACCESS are determined by the SIGACCESS Executive Committee with the approval of the Chair of the SIG Board.
  2. All members of SIGACCESS may vote in any ballot conducted with SIGACCESS. On any ballot, the votes cast by non-ACM members of SIGACCESS will, if necessary, be prorated downward so that their effective total cannot exceed 50% of the eligible vote.

Article 9. Reports and Records

The SIGACCESS Chair is responsible for filing reports about SIGACCESS as required by the SIG Board. These include:

  1. An annual report, due as specified by the SIG Governing Board, on the activities of SIGACCESS during the previous year;
  2. All reports required by the Financial Accountability Policy of the ACM; and
  3. Closing reports on conferences and symposia (co) sponsored by SIGACCESS as required by the ACM.

The membership records of SIGACCESS will be maintained by ACM Headquarters.

Article 10. Elections

  1. By September 30 of the year preceding each election year, if the SIG Governing Board has not exercised its option to extend the term of the SIG's current officers for an additional three years, the Chair will appoint a nominating committee which will propose at least two consenting candidates for each elective office of SIGACCESS. The slate of candidates elected by the nominating committee must be presented to all SIGACCESS members by the following January 31.
  2. A petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGACCESS will place other consenting candidates on the ballot. Petitions must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer of SIGACCESS no later than March 15.
  3. The election will be conducted among eligible voters by ACM Headquarters by June 1, following the election procedures of the ACM, unless different procedures have been approved by the SIG Board. Of all the ballots returned in an election, the candidates receiving the largest numbers of effective votes wins. The SIG Board will resolve ties.

Article 11. Amendments

  1. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Council, or by a vote of SIGACCESS members as provided below. With the approval of the SIGACCESS Executive Committee and the Executive Committee of the ACM, 2/3 of all the members of the SIG Board may amend Article 1 of these Bylaws without a referendum of the members.
  2. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the SIGACCESS Executive Committee, the SIG Board, or a petition from 1% of the voting members of SIGACCESS. All proposed amendments must be approved prior to being submitted for a vote of the membership by the Chairs of both the SIG Board and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee of ACM after the Executive Director of ACM has provided advice.
  3. The ballot on the proposed amendment(s) will be conducted among the eligible voters by ACM Headquarters following the procedures of the ACM for voting bylaw amendments unless a different procedure has been approved by the SIG Board. The proposal is adopted only if at least 2/3 of the effective votes of returned ballots approve it, and only if at least 10% of the ballots are returned. The Secretary-Treasurer will send a clean copy of the amended bylaws to the Executive Director of ACM and to the Chairman of the SIG Board.

Article 12. Dissolution

Should SIGACCESS be dissolved, control of its assets will revert to the ACM.

Article 13. Meetings

SIGACCESS will conduct at least one business meeting each year. All meetings sponsored by the Group must be open to all members of the ACM. SIGACCESS may hold meetings only in places that are open to all classes of members of the ACM.

Article 14. Consistency

The Constitution, Bylaws, and policies of the ACM and of the SIG Board take precedence over any conflicting provisions of these bylaws or internal policies of SIGACCESS.