Anthony “Tony” Coelho Joins the 3rd Annual ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility as Keynote Speaker

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - January 12, 2009) - The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is proud to announce that Anthony "Tony" Coelho will join the ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility, January 29 - 30, 2009 at the Caribe Royale Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida as the Keynote Speaker.

Tony Coelho is a former U.S. Congressman from California and was the primary author and sponsor of the American Disabilities Act. He currently serves as the Chair Emeritus of the Board of the Epilepsy Foundation. Mr. Coelho is highly regarded as a leader and driving force behind disability legislation and a tireless advocate for disability rights. His keynote address will discuss the recent passage of the ADA Amendments Act and its impact on employment of persons with disabilities and other areas. He will share his vision for the future and the potential for further advancement of disability initiatives within the next presidential administration.

Mr. Coelho's session will include an interactive dialogue with the Leadership Forum attendees facilitated by Joyce Bender, President and CEO, Bender Consulting Services. Policy advisors from the Department of Labor (Office of Disability Employment Policy) and the Department of Education (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services) will join him to answer questions from the Forum attendees and gain input to the development of future programs.

The ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility is an exciting two-day Forum providing an excellent venue for discussion of the business case for accessibility and its associated technologies. The Forum uses a case-study format to provide corporations, colleges/universities, and government agencies of all sizes with unique insights into how other industry-leading organizations are integrating accessibility to improve workplace productivity and extend their market reach to include both people with disabilities and mature consumers. Organizations can derive real value from the enterprise-focused approach, which allows organizations to see first-hand how accessibility can benefit their bottom line.

"ATIA is delighted to have a visionary such as Tony Coelho join the Forum. With new legislation and a new administration in Washington, this is a critical time to keep the focus on opportunities for persons with disabilities and the importance of technology to open doors for everyone," commented David Dikter, Executive Director of ATIA.

Leaders in information technology, assistive technology, accessibility-compliance solutions and the government have joined ATIA to contribute to this event. Speakers include IBM, Microsoft, AT&T, Canon, California State University, and many others.

For additional details regarding the schedule, sessions, and registration, go to www.atia.org/leadershipforum.

About ATIA

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to serve as the collective voice of the Assistive Technology industry so that the best products and services are delivered to persons with disabilities. Members of ATIA include for-profit, not-for-profit, government, or private organizations located across the globe. For more information, visit ATIA's Web site at www.atia.org.