The California State University, Northridge Center on Disabilities (CSUN) is hosting its annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference (the CSUN Conference) from March 13 to 17 in Anaheim, California at the Anaheim Marriott.

Featuring more than 400 sessions highlighting the latest assistive technology (AT) and accessibility developments, this event is a must-attend for researchers, practitioners, educators, advocates, persons with disabilities, and more.

In its 38th year, the CSUN Conference is expected to be more comprehensive than ever! Ranging from AT-based mobile apps to modified wheelchairs and more, there will be several products and services designed to transform the lives of those with disabilities.

According to Julia Santiago, CSUN’s Center for Disabilities interim managing director, the 2023 conference will include several new events and attendee networking opportunities, including the “daily birds-of-a-feather events,” an in-house broadcast studio featuring fireside chats, and livestream event sessions and presentations.

Diverse Speakers & AT Products Showcase

Pre-conference workshops begin on Monday, March 13. The conference officially kicks off on Tuesday, March 14 at 8 a.m. PST with a keynote address by Mike Paciello of accessibility news aggregator WebABLE.com and WebABLE.TV. Registered conference attendees can attend a special exhibition preview from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibit hall opens to the general public on Wednesday, March 15 at 9:30 a.m.

One of the conference’s many social events will feature the Strache Leadership Award ceremony. Recognizing disability and technology-focused educators and researchers, this year’s recipient is Keith Christian. A teacher at Anaheim, California-based Clara Barton Elementary School, Christian will be honored for his advocacy of the Cal State LA Alternative Media Production (AMP) Center.

Event sponsors include Amazon, Crawford Technologies, CVSHealth, DiversityComm, Inc., Goodmaps, Google, IBM, Sony, and Vispero.

Learn more about some of this year’s speakers and sessions:

• Stewart Hay, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Intopia - An “entertaining journey to look at how we can make all stages of the employment process inclusive for everyone,” this session will walk attendees through key steps, such as hiring, interviews, and onboarding.

• Ernie Crawford, President & Founder, Crawford Technologies - ASL, braille, and accessible PDFs don’t have to be intimidating, and this session focuses on the importance of easily digestible communication for these and others.

• Jill Strawbridge, Senior Manager, UX Research; Rain Michaels, Staff UX Design Manager; and Shari Trewin, Software Engineering Manager - This Google team trio will share their instrumental research, design, and engineering processes for AT-based online reading.

• David Swallow, Principal UX Consultant, TPGi - Has the web really become less (or more) anxiety-inducing for the mental health community? This session will examine awareness and education on this important topic.

• Michelle McManus, Penn State University; and Christina Clift, Memphis Center for Independent Living - AT access can be life changing for those with disabilities. When such technology is denied, it could lead to increased unemployment and social isolation. This session focuses on how to break down these barriers.

Expo Visitor passes also include 20-minute interpreting services. Accommodation requests are first-come, first-served time slots.

Learn moreabout the CSUN Assistive Technology exhibition and conference by checking out this year’s agenda, session directory, and FAQs. Registration can be completed online. Contact CSUN for additional inquiries.