CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwire) -- 11/18/08 -- The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) will host the third annual Leadership Forum on Accessibility, January 29 - 30, 2009 at the Caribe Royale Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. This exciting two-day Forum provides an excellent venue for discussion of the business case for accessibility, its associated technologies and will provide successful accessibility implementations from some of today's leading organizations.

The ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility 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.

There are currently 78 million baby boomers, 600 million people worldwide, and 54 million Americans living with disabilities. This market represents over $175B in discretionary income, making them a powerful, but often under-served, market force. Thus the need for education and outreach is significant. The Forum provides this educational material along with networking opportunities specifically designed to help business leaders discuss accessibility best practice scenarios.

"Our attendees, speakers and sponsors represent all industries including Insurance, Retail, Financial Services, Pharmaceutical, Travel, Information Technology, and Education as well as state and federal government representatives," commented David Dikter, Executive Director of ATIA. "These companies share both their successes and the lessons they learned along the way. One of the biggest benefits of the Leadership Forum comes from the open and honest discussion of challenges which occurs both inside and outside the formal sessions."

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.

"AT&T is proud to sponsor ATIA's Leadership Forum. This Forum offers all companies an opportunity to collaborate and learn how to best serve customers with disabilities and those who are aging. At AT&T, our goal is to help people connect and be more productive in a rapidly changing world. As we continue to expand our services, the Leadership Forum is a valuable resource to help us reach our goal," stated Colin Petheram, Vice President of External Affairs at AT&T.

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.