ATIA 2024 Conference Highlights
There were so many moments and exciting events that took place at ATIA 2024! Unless you were present in Orlando experiencing it for yourself, it’s difficult to articulate just how special it was to connect with the AT community in one place.
Here are a few highlights in case you weren’t able to join us in person—everything from the Pre-Conference Seminars to the inaugural ATIA Celebration to Maker Day. You may also want to check out what attendees posted on social media—you can search the hashtag #ATIA2024: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | X/Twitter
Pre-Conference Seminars
ATIA 2024 kicked off strong with Pre-Conference Seminars held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Seminars included both one and two-day workshops, and included topics such as AT services for people who are blind or have low vision, building an inclusive technology ecosystem, designing and delivering empowering experiences to teach language using AAC … and that’s just to name a few!
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ATIA 2024 Celebration
Thursday evening ATIA 2024 attendees gathered at the inaugural ATIA Celebration! There were desserts, drinks, singing, and dancing. Did we mention desserts? There was plenty to choose from!
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2024 Prentke AAC Distinguished Lecture
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U. S. Department of Education Session
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Exhibit Hall
125+ companies showcased their latest and greatest assistive technology in the Exhibit Hall. It was jam-packed and there was so much for attendees to explore!
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Education Sessions
With 300+ education sessions and 500+ speakers, there was no shortage of sessions to attend. The education program is planned around nine strands to provide a balanced approach to explore the most important questions and issues facing AT professionals today, providing attendees the opportunity to focus on a specific are of interest or need.
Sessions strands included Aging & AT, AT for Physical Access and Participation, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Education & Learning: Early Intervention – 12/Higher Education, Leadership, Mainstream Accessible Technologies, Research, Transition & Workplace Accessibility, and Vision & Hearing Technologies.
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Poster Sessions
Poster Sessions were another big hit this year! Along with learning something new, this session format proved to also be a great networking opportunity for all!
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EdCamp Access International
Carrying on the conference tradition started by edcampAccess/Boston and edcampAccessNJ, EdCamp Access International 2024 was held Friday evening. This “unconference” was devoted to K–12 special education issues and ideas with a focus on teaching all struggling learners and the use of assistive technology. The event was not limited to special educators, all were welcome to attend and shared their expertise!
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Maker Day
So many interesting DIY ideas were shared at this year’s Maker Day! On Saturday, AT makers joined forces and shared everything from low-tech solutions to modified technology solutions and explored a wide range of creations that have helped solve challenges in the AT community.
The maker community is comprised of people—high school STEM and robotics students, hobbyists and DIY electronics enthusiasts—who are interested in using their skills to create and make solutions for people with disabilities. These are not always experts in AT, but they have a myriad of interests and just simply like to solve problems and make things.
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