About ATIA - Information
About ATIA
The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is a not-for-profit membership organization of manufacturers, sellers and providers of technology-based assistive devices and/or services. ATIA represents the interests of its members to business, government, education, and the many agencies that serve people with disabilities. Its mission is to serve as the collective voice of the Assistive Technology industry so that the best products and services are delivered to people with disabilities. For more information about ATIA's educational opportunities and conferences, visit www.atia.org.
Since 1999, ATIA has held an annual conference that provides a forum for education and communication to professional practitioners serving those with disabilities. In conjunction with its conferences, ATIA holds a Leadership Forum and Workshop on Accessibility which provides corporations, government agencies, and higher educational institutions with the information needed to expand their accessibility efforts. The ATIA Chicago conference is held in October and ATIA Orlando is held in January each year.
Goals of ATIA
ATIA's goals include:
- Establish and manage an annual Assistive Technology (AT) conference. The conference provides a forum for education and communication to professional practitioners serving those with disabilities (teachers, occupational therapists, rehabilitation counselors, physicians, psychologists, etc.), with the overarching goal of providing enhanced benefits and opportunities to people with disabilities. The ATIA Conference has been held every year since 1999 and is now established as the largest, broad-based AT conference in North America. In 2009, ATIA added a second AT conference to be held in the Midwest in the fall, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. The ATIA 2009 Orlando Conference had over 2,300 attendees, more than 300 educational sessions and 125 exhibitors.
- To "speak with a common voice" for the AT industry, and work closely with Electronics & Information Technology (EIT) companies and government, on matters of common interest such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and comparable continuing issues.
- Support publications of itself and in conjunction with non-profit partners.
What is Assistive Technology?
Assistive Technology (or AT) is any item, piece of equipment, product or system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities. For more information about Assistive Technology, visit the section of our website called "What is AT?"
