For four decades, California State University Northridge’s Center on Disabilities has worked to provide a premier forum for exploring the latest in technology and accessibility for persons with disabilities. This year marks a milestone 40th anniversary for the Assistive Technology Conference, which will be held Monday, March 10 to Friday, March 14, at the Anaheim Marriott in Orange County.

With almost 400 educational sessions to be held throughout the week, conference participants will have the opportunity to learn and share new practices in assistive technology and accessibility, as well as engage with researchers, educators, practitioners and service providers from around the globe.

The CSUN Assistive Technology Conference provides an opportunity for “people from around the world who are in the accessibility, assistive technology and general disability industry, including educators, rehab professionals, researchers, product developers and users themselves to get together to network, learn and imagine what is possible,” said Julia Santiago, managing director of CSUN’s Center on Disabilities.

“We are gathering the community across the industry,” said Santiago. “It is a dynamic place for people to come together and really push the industry forward to increase inclusion and participation and further reduce barriers for those with all abilities and disabilities, as well as society at large.”

The conference will kick off on Monday, March 10, with pre-conference workshops, followed by a keynote program on Tuesday, March 11, to formally kick-off the conference. This year’s keynote address will be given by former U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords of Arizona.

Giffords, who retired from office in 2012 after suffering a severe brain injury during an assassination attempt, will discuss the importance of technology and its impact on daily living and transcending barriers. Her speech will be followed by a celebration to mark the conference’s 40th anniversary.

Throughout the week there will be various networking opportunities including, “Birds of a Feather” meetings which will bring together groups with similar interests, such as information and communications technology, government and policy, and education. The conference is also hosting its first job fair featuring employers in the assistive technology and accessibility fields.

“Back in 1985, the conference was originally meant to bring together people within the industry because, at the time, there were not a lot of resources available to students with disabilities,” said Santiago. “Now 40 years later, we still bring together a very comprehensive and diverse industry, and every year we welcome new members to this amazing community.”

In addition to workshops and networking opportunities, the conference also features an exhibit hall from Wednesday, March 12, to Friday, March 14, that is free and open to the public.

“The exhibit hall showcases 130 exhibitors and the products and services they offer,” said Santiago. “This is an opportunity for the community to engage directly with companies and service providers and learn more about new and emerging technologies.”

For more information about the conference visit https://csun.at/conference.