CSUN Sponsors Disability Conference
Cal State Northridge will sponsor a conference next week to examine how new technology can be applied to help the disabled.
The conference, titled “Technology and Persons With Disabilities,” will be held March 14 through 18 at Los Angeles Airport Marriott and Los Angeles Airport Hilton hotels. It will feature educators, researchers, government officials and manufacturers as well as disabled speakers.
“We want all the players together to see how we can make technology more effective for the disabled,” said Jodi Johnson, an administrative assistant for the school’s Center on Disabilities. CSUN has sponsored the conference since its inception in 1986.
Johnson said some technology in recent years has been developed without considering the needs of the disabled.
“Virtual reality,” she said, “is an example of cutting-edge technology that left a whole segment of the population from being able to use it.”
On the other hand, Johnson said, if the disabled are taken into consideration from the onset of the creative process, advances in manufacturing can greatly enhance their lives.
At the conference, manufacturers will introduce prototypes of new products. One company will demonstrate a specialized car designed for wheelchair users, Johnson said.
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