HLAA Participates in M-Enabling Summit

HLAA, along with some 360 participants from 30 different countries attended the M-Enabling Summit, 2011. The Summit was billed as a "global summit and showcase for mobile applications and services for seniors and persons with disabilities."

More than one billion people around the world live with disabilities, including a large number of seniors. The M-Enabling Summit provided a forum to identify global opportunities for accessible and assistive mobile applications and services.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) co-hosted the M-Enabling Summit, December 5-6, 2011, in cooperation with G3ict - the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The Summit included a briefing session hosted at FCC headquarters as well as an industry conference and showcase organized by G3ict at the Gaylord National Convention Center in Washington D.C.'s National Harbor. The Summit was entirely dedicated to reviewing how to best promote and implement accessible mobile communications and services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and International Telecommunication Union's Secretary General Hamadoun Touré spoke at the Summit, alongside Mohammed Al Tarawneh, inaugural chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. More than 60 speakers among private sector leaders, mobile accessibility experts and disability advocates participated in the Summitt. Included in the programming was a session devoted to mobile apps and solutions for person who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, as well as a session on accessible and assistive apps and solutions in emergency response. Participants from the community of people who have hearing loss were Lise Hamlin (HLAA), Claude Stout (TDI), Andrew Phillips (NAD), and Dr. Christian Vogler (Gallaudet TAP). Mobile and broadband industry representatives also participated.

For more information, visit www.m-enabling.com/about.html and G3ict at g3ict.com/about.