The Austrian Computer Society decided in September 2001 to endow this award in honour of Prof. Dr. Roland Wagner.

Prof. Dr. Roland Wagner is the founder of ICCHP. He is Head of Institute of the Austrian wide Institute "integrated study" offering services for print disabled students at Austrian universities. He is the founder of the working group "ICT for/with People with Disabilities" of the Austrian Computer Society, the group which established the ICCHP conference as an outstanding international event.

Prof. Wagner is one of the pioneers in ICT for people with disabilities in Austria and has been pushing the field forward since years. His early visionary understanding of the role of ICT to change perspectives of people with special needs and his dedication for fighting for equal rights for the target group has important impacts on the awareness and the beginning changes in society. This award should give incentives and should support the important work which has been the passion of Prof. Wagner over the last decades.