M-Enabling Summit: Redefining Everyday Life
The exploding impact of mobile technology and its redefining of everyday life for hundreds of millions of aging adults and persons with disabilities was the primary focus of the 2nd annual M-Enabling Summit held in Washington, DC June 6-7 2013.
BETHESDA, Maryland (June 18, 2013) —
The exploding impact of mobile technology and its redefining of everyday life for hundreds of millions of aging adults and persons with disabilities was the primary focus of the 2nd annual M-Enabling
Summit held in Washington, DC June 6-7 2013. The M-Enabling Summit set a unique stage for identifying emerging opportunities, breaking technological developments, and future innovations for accessible and assistive mobile applications and services. Enhancing nearly every aspect of human life across the world, mobile accessibility is helping improve the experience of all users.
Keynotes Mignon L. Clyburn, Acting Chairwoman, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO, welcomed over 450 top-level attendees from around the world to the only mobile industry conference dedicated to promoting and implementing accessible mobile communications and services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Top industry executives and community advocates were in attendance to support to the Summit. AT&T, Sprint, BlackBerry, Qualcomm, HP, Adobe, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Microsoft, Verizon, T-Mobile, IBM, TIA, EZ-Fire, Wells Fargo, Project RAY, COAT, Deque Systems, were among the 150 speakers and 35 high caliber showcase participants who presented their products and perspectives on the latest mobile accessibility technology breakthroughs.
The opening plenary of the Summit, “Universal Access for All Ages and All Abilities,” examined the common objective of how to achieve universal access to technology, information, and communication resources for people with disabilities and senior citizens around the world.
The M-Enabling Summit, organized by E.J. Krause & Associates and G3ict, in cooperation with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), featured one of the highest quality programs encompassing a variety of topics from sectors including education, senior services, rehabilitation, travel and transportation, gaming, mobile e-commerce and emergency response. Leading solutions for physical, visual and speech impairments, hard of hearing, as well as learning and cognitive disabilities were showcased. The Summit also reviewed how mobile applications and services leveraging
the latest accessibility innovations embedded in smartphones and tablets are playing a key role in rapidly transforming these sectors.
With more than one billion potential users worldwide, accessible and assistive solutions are at the forefront of the mobile industry as a whole, opening a wide window for new market opportunities. Persons with disabilities alone now encompass the largest minority group with discretionary spending capacity, over $220 billion. Further, accessible technology and solutions are not limited to seniors and those with disabilities, but are now being used as adapted sources for customizable technology for all.
The M-Enabling Summit acted as a powerful catalyst for the development of accessible and assistive solutions. The success of the Summit clearly indicates that this key growth sector is helping to define where technology is going. The next M-Enabling Summit will be held in Washington, DC June 2014.
For additional information on registering to attend the M-Enabling Summit, visit www.m-enabling.com.
About G3ict
The Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies – is an Advocacy Initiative of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development. Its mission is to promote and support the implementation of the dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) covering digital accessibility and assistive technologies. Participating organizations include industry, the public sector and organizations representing persons with disabilities. G3ict relies on an international network of ICT accessibility experts to develop practical tools, evaluation methods and benchmarks for States Parties, Disabled Persons Organizations and corporations. Since inception in 2006, G3ict has organized or contributed to 85 awareness raising and capacity building programs for policy makers in cooperation with international organizations such as the ITU, UNESCO, UNITAR and the World Bank on all continents. G3ict co-produces with ITU the e-accessibility policy toolkit for persons with disabilities – www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org – widely used by policy makers involved in the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. G3ict is funded by contributions from corporations, disabled persons organizations and foundations. Its programs are hosted by international organizations, governments, universities and foundations around the world. Visit the website: http://www.g3ict.org.
About E.J. Krause & Associates
For more than 25 years, E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc. (EJK) has been a worldwide leader in exhibition and conference management. EJK is one of the largest privately held exhibition management companies in the world, with offices on four continents. EJK produces a growing portfolio of over 40 events, serving 14 different industries. We excel in creating global brand leading events, bringing companies together to network and generate business. For more information please visit www.ejkrause.com.
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Contact:
USA: Pat Tessler, EJK at tessler@ejkrause.com, +1 301.493.5500, x3386
Europe: Regine Gessner, EJK at gessner@ejkgermany.de, +49 (0) 211.610.730