ATIA Conference Puts Assistive Technologies for Children and Adults on Display

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) announced today that its 10^th annual conference on assistive technologies will convene January 28-31 at the Caribe Royale All-Suites Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The conference offers a showcase for more than 130 companies and organizations providing technologies designed to assist the disabled with learning, working, and communication, as well as more than 275 educational sessions. It is expected to draw over 2,000 consumers and professionals serving people with disabilities.

“Our Orlando Conference offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about technologies to address old and new challenges, including Internet accessibility, learning disabilities, access for the visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, physically disabled, and the entire spectrum of age-related disabilities.”

Since 1998, ATIA has provided a forum for companies offering innovative technologies and services for people with disabilities to enhance learning, working and their independence.

“As the need to help people with various learning and communication challenges increases, ATIA will continue to raise awareness of the latest innovations for the disabled as well as for the practitioners who work with them,” said David Dikter, Executive Director of ATIA. “Our Orlando Conference offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about technologies to address old and new challenges, including Internet accessibility, learning disabilities, access for the visually impaired, deaf/hard of hearing, physically disabled, and the entire spectrum of age-related disabilities.”

There are 78-million Baby Boomers and 600-million people worldwide living with all types of disabilities. The assistive technology market represents more than $175-billion in discretionary income, making it a powerful, but often under-served, purchasing constituency.

ATIA companies cover all aspects of the assistive technology spectrum, including: augmentative and alternative communication; blind/low vision; computer access/Web accessibility; IT companies; K-12 and higher education technology; deaf and hard-of-hearing; practitioner and educator organizations; distribution and service provider organizations; and local, national and international groups.

In addition to its own work, ATIA also enhances its mission of bringing assistive technologies to those who need them by maintaining strategic partnerships with the following well-known organizations: American Foundation for the Blind (AFB); Assistive Technology in Higher Education Network (ATHEN); Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST); DAISY Consortium; Easter Seals; Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS); Infinitec; The Chicago Lighthouse; The National Assistive Technology Technical Assistance Partnership (NATTAP); The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID); The Pass It ON Center (PIOC); State Leaders in Assistive Technology in Education (SLATE); The Technology and Media Division (TAM) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC); and the United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC).

The ATIA Orlando Conference is open to anyone interested in learning more about assistive technologies for children and adults. For more information on the conference, please visit http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3280.

About ATIA

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to serve as the collective voice of the assistive technology industry so that the best products and services are delivered to persons with disabilities. Members of ATIA include for-profit, not-for-profit, government, or private organizations located across the globe. For more information, visit ATIA’s Web site at www.atia.org.