From 10 to 12 October 2006,
Hong Kong will be the venue for the first Assistive Technology Conference
entitled 'Assistive Technologies: Expanding a Universe of Opportunities for
People with Disabilities'. The conference is the first in a series of three and
is hosted by Assistive Technology News (ATN) and Concurrent Technologies
Corporation Foundation (CTCF) with assistance from the International Paralympic
Committee (IPC), Disabled Persons' International and the Asia Pacific Centre on
Disability.
The aim of the conference is to expand the awareness of Assistive Technology
(AT) products in the Asia-Pacific. Targeted audiences are individuals working in
the areas of disability in the Asia-Pacific Rim and persons with a disability.
Keynote Speakers include Co-chairs of the conference John Williams of ATN and
Tao Jiang, CEO of Micro-DSP Technology Company and Michael Fox, President of
Rehabilitation International (RI) and Director of Access Australia. Several
other top-level speakers are expected to attend.
The areas of focus for the conference include Education and Assistive
Technologies', 'Employment and Assistive Technologies', 'Information &
Communication Technologies', 'Technology Enriches the Quality of Life',
'Technology and Aging' and 'Accessibility and the Web'.
Said Mr. Williams: "With several hundred million people living in the
Asia-Pacific Rim, educators and employers are not aware of the empowering
benefits of assistive technology products. ATN and CTCF want to create
opportunities in the Asian-Pacific Rim region that will expose employers to the
benefits of these products in every area of the lives of people with
disabilities, especially jobs."
AT and prosthetic products can be great equalizers in the lives of persons
with a disability. There is a need to expand the awareness of the benefits of AT
in the Asian-Pacific Rim region. These products can break down communication,
environmental and physical barriers that have prevented persons with a
disability from achieving economic and social independence in their communities.
One of the goals of the 2007 and 2008 conferences, to be held in Beijing, is
to open an AT centre in Beijing to provide information and demonstrate how AT
can be utilized across all walks of life and for persons with a variety of
disabilities. The centre will be used to train people from all over the world on
AT and how to use technology in delivering services.
Said IPC CEO Xavier Gonzalez: "The IPC is pleased to support this unique
initiative. It is important to spread knowledge about the technology that is
available to support persons with a disability in all areas of life. As far as
sports is concerned, assistive technology has helped broaden the horizons for
persons with a disability".
