ConnSENSE

ATIA 2004 Attracts Record Attendees

Kate Breen
ATIA Headquarters
info@atia.org
http://www.atia.org
312.673.6659

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) held its fifth annual conference at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on January 14-17. More than 1,200 people attended the ATIA 2004 Conference, with hundreds of first-time attendees. One in three conference participants were experiencing the ATIA annual conference for the first time as a speaker, exhibitor or general attendee.

The exhibit hall featured nearly 100 industry leaders who presented the latest in Assistive Technology products and services to attendees, covering more than 10,000 square feet of booths and displays. Both members and non-members of ATIA were able to share their solutions and latest advancements with conference attendees, including teachers, parents, special education directors, speech-language pathologists, administrators, occupational therapists, and other consumers.

Attendees had opportunities to expand their knowledge about Assistive Technology through more than 230 educational sessions, networking opportunities with business leaders in Assistive Technology, colleagues, government leaders and key people in the Assistive Technology community. The broad scope of the conference educational proceedings ranged from advanced hands-on lab technical sessions to strategic panel discussion sessions with representatives from different government departments.

Partnerships with the Technology and Media Division (TAM) of the Council for Exceptional Children and the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA), provided attendees with the opportunity to attend pre-conference seminars and sponsored sessions throughout the conference.

"Our goal for 2005 is to continue to bring together the diverse groups of professionals, business, government and research/academic leaders to continue to learn about and grow the overall market for Assistive Technology" according to ATIA Executive Director David Dikter. "All of our constituents understand the need is greater than ever to provide appropriate Assistive Technologies to people who have a disability. ATIA is striving to increase awareness in all sectors and communities."

The ATIA 2005 Conference

The ATIA 2005 Conference will take place January 19-22, 2005 in Orlando, Florida. The event will be at a new location, the Caribe Royale Resort, to accommodate the growth in participants. ATIA's sixth annual conference promises to continue to showcase excellence in Assistive Technology.