40th Anniversary of the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference

More than 4,500 attended the CSUN AT Conference in Anaheim March 10–14, 2025, making it the largest conference of its kind in the world. Attendees had the opportunity to attend more than 350 educational sessions and the sold-out exhibit hall, where approximately 130 booths showed the latest products and programs in the assistive technology and the accessibility and disability industries.

“We see a wide swath of folks from local, state and federal government, large corporations and industries such as education, rehabilitation, even banking,” says CSUN’s Center on Disabilities Managing Director, Julia Santiago. “Virtually everyone is touched by accessibility standards and ensuring access and inclusion. We also see lots of users, individuals of all abilities and disabilities, looking for different services and products.”   

“We provide the forum for people to connect and learn from each other,” Santiago continues. “This is kind of a rare opportunity,  where, for instance, a teacher can engage with a product developer from a large company, and those connections ultimately push the industry forward.”

This year was a celebration of the 40th  Anniversary, and the keynote speaker was former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who shared the impact and the importance assistive technology has had for her.

“We also hosted a job fair, various networking events and thought-provoking fireside chats throughout the week,” Santiago said, “and a lot of fun: Happy hour on Monday, a big party celebrating our 40 years on Tuesday, and accessible karaoke, a long-time favorite event.”

Last year, the conference was a great event, attracting more than 4,000 attendees. The keynote speaker, DeafBlind human rights attorney Haben Girma, was especially enlightening about the challenges and opportunities of technologies in affording all kinds of accessibility, most especially in communication. In her address, available at CSUNATC.tv, Girma declares that “Disability is innovation … Technology has the potential for a lot of opportunities for the 1 billion people with disabilities in the world…” That’s right, the largest minority group… “Disability if a part of human diversity.”  (I encourage you to view Girma's moving 2024 keynote.)

The 2025 CSUN ATC included presentations of research projects, AI, accessibility life cycles and guidelines, legal updates and much more. Many great products and services were on display at the Exhibit Hall, from companies and organizations that include Nike, Sony, Amazon, Google, CVS Health, The Braille Institute, the Department of State.

“It’s a really exciting event, to see people connect, and there is so much to learn and experience,”  Santiago says, “And it’s so fulfilling to know that over 40 years, we are still having an impact. Thousands of people have attended the conference over the years, and they take the knowledge and experience back to their communities, touching the lives of countless. Ultimately, of course, the goal is to eliminate the barriers for people of individuals of all abilities and disabilities to participate fully in work, in school. And yeah, in life.”