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Assistive technology in the spotlight

(IPC)
Updated: 2006-08-18 11:19

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".