Officially, it's known as the Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, but to most, it's simply referred to as CSUN. Each March, roughly 5,000 researchers, teachers, accessibility experts, exhibitor representatives, and technology enthusiasts gather in San Diego to share new products, learn from others, or simply do a whole lot of networking.
The AccessWorld Technology Summit and Showcase was held on February 27, 2014, in Brooklyn, New York, as a special part of the American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference.
This all-day event, facilitated by Lee Huffman, AccessWorld and Technology Information Editor, discussed mobile communications, social networks, technology areas, and advancement in the work place. There were seven presentations from companies including Google, Yahoo! and Facebook.
From February 27 through March 1 of this year, hundreds of assistive technology trainers and specialists, rehabilitation professionals, and leaders in the blindness field descended upon New York City for the annual American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference (AFBLC). In recent years, technology has been a key focus of the fast-growing conference and this year was no exception. While it's virtually impossible to talk about every session at the event, below are some highlights from a few of the weekend's technology sessions.
In 1985, California State University at Northridge (CSUN) launched its first Technology and Persons with Disabilities conference. I didn't attend the first year, but I clearly remember publishing the announcement in TACTIC magazine, the predecessor to AccessWorld, which I'd launched earlier the same year. I remember how the announcements piqued my interest and confirmed for me that my own timing, professionally speaking, was in alignment with the rest of the access technology universe.
This past March, I had the privilege to attend the 29th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, more commonly known as CSUN, in San Diego. The conference has in fact become an annual ritual for me, because it is always exciting to see the latest and greatest in access technology. My primary conference task is recording podcasts and interviews for Blind Bargains, an effort that the American Foundation for the Blind has generously sponsored for the past three years.