A forward-thinking assemblage from academia, industry, government, advocacy groups, and others will gather in Boston on July 20–21 2009 to identify challenges and solutions in the area of accessibility, now and into the next decade.
IBM and IEEE (link resides outside of ibm.com) are launching a first-of-a-kind conference to identify the next generation of accessibility challenges arising from the increasingly pervasive use of technologies such as 3-D Web, online collaboration, shared medical records, and advanced systems for transportation and communication.
By identifying challenges early in the technology cycle, standards, interfaces and policies can be developed to ensure that the needs, accessibility requirements and inclusion of the 650 million people with disabilities worldwide, along with the rapidly increasing aging population, are considered beforehand rather than as an afterthought.
This international conference will feature keynote speakers and panel and working sessions with speakers, panelists and participants from diverse sectors focusing on four areas:
- Universal Design and Accessibility Standards
- Patient-Centered Collaborative Care
- Accessible Online Workplaces and Communities
- Transportation and Travel
And, while no one can predict what will happen 10 years from now, this conference will serve as a catalyst for ongoing dialogue to further public-private partnership in the area of accessibility over the course of the next decade. The goal is to set the stage for the mainstream integration of accessibility into the technology development process. The vision is actually much bigger—to leverage the specialized expertise of a few, to improve the lives of millions in the very near future.