ACM FAccT Conference

ACM FAccT 2024 Diversity and Inclusion Programs

A key part of our strategic plan is to innovate and lead on diversity and inclusion. In every edition of the conference, we strive to provide an open, diverse, safe and inclusive atmosphere.

The organizers of ACM FAccT believe that a diverse and inclusive community is imperative for meaningful conversations about fairness, accountability, and transparency in socio-technical systems. The Executive Committee, General Chairs and Diversity and Inclusion Chairs worked together to address issues both specific to this year's conference and towards guidelines and practices that align with ACM FAccT's long-term strategic goal of innovation in diversity and inclusion efforts.

Safe and inclusive conference space

Acknowledging that members of our community are disproportionately affected by harassment, we took a number of steps to provide a safe conference experience. Please see our community agreements for more information about our policies. If you are involved in or witness an incident of harassment during the conference, please submit a complaint to the conference organizers and the members of the Safety and Inclusion team will review the case.

Lowering barriers of access to the conference

As part of our efforts to provide a space for this community to come together, we offer practices and policies to lower barriers of access to the conference and actively support participation by a diverse community.

  • Registration Costs
    • Tiered pricing program that acknowledges attendees' differing abilities to pay (students/non-profit, academic/government, industry).
    • Deeply discounted rates for attendees registering in countries designated by ACM as "economically developing" (categorization based on World Bank GNI), acknowledging the impact of exchange rates and international inequities.
    • Acknowledging that some researchers may be experiencing unemployment and/or financial hardship, all attendees are welcome to apply for the registration fee waivers on the participant support page.
    • Waived registration for volunteers.
  • Streamlined Participant Support Application: This year, we have consolidated the forms for various types of participant support into a single form to reduce the burden for those attendees requiring multiple types of support. Our single Participant Support Application will be processed jointly by the Financial Support, Volunteer, and Diversity and Inclusion Chairs behind the scenes instead of having attendees complete separate forms for each type of support. From this form, we will award the following items:
    • Travel Grants: We offer travel grants to support those who identify as being a member of an underrepresented group at ACM FAccT and/or who intend to attend the FAccT for the first time. The application form is available on the participant support page.
    • Internet bandwidth grants: Intended to cover extra costs of internet access if attendees' current internet bandwidth is a barrier to their participation in the conference. The application form is available on the participant support page.
    • Caretaker grants: Intended to cover extra costs for caring for dependents if attendees' caretaker responsibilities are a barrier to their participation in the conference. The application form is available on the participant support page.
    • Registration waivers: for volunteers to the conference and for accessibility reasons.

Providing a safe space that is free of harassment

  • Before completing registration, all attendees are required to review and agree to ACM's Policy Against Harassment at ACM Activities.
  • All platforms used are only accessible to registered participants, and access is linked to their registration email.
  • Safety and inclusion elements are intentionally incorporated into the design of the virtual conference platform, and there is a dedicated team for supporting attendees with safety inquiries or complaints.
  • A dedicated process for reviewing harassment and discrimination complaints at the conference has been created in collaboration with ACM officials.
  • A Safety and Inclusion Panel will provide rapid review and action of complaints reported at the conference.

Providing an experience that supports the diversity of our community members

This includes recognizing that people join our community and this conference with differing abilities and disabilities, from different regions around the world, and in the context of different times in their lives or contextual constraints.

  • All platforms used as part of the conference are vetted for accessibility features.
  • Closed captioning is available for all pre-recorded videos, and we have secured real-time human captioning for Plenary Panels and Keynote Q&As.

Community Empowerment Socials

New for 2024, we are calling for community empowerment groups to host FAccT-endorsed in-person and virtual socials. Community empowerment groups promote and support the ideas and voices of marginalized communities and raise awareness of issues that affect their members. The call for socials is open until March 29. The social chairs are working closely with social organizers and scheduling chairs to ensure that participating in socials does not interfere with participating in the main conference events.

For more information contact the Social chairs:
social@facctconference.org

Accessibility Chairs

New for 2024, FAccT has accessibility chairs to increase the capacity of the organizing team to ensure that all accommodations are made. They have prepared an Accessibility FAQ page with detailed information about common accessibility questions and the proactive design choices the organizing team has made.

Accessibility chairs: accessibility@FAccTconference.org

Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chairs

Please contact inclusion@facctconference.org for any questions, ideas, or comments on how we can make this conference work best for you.