Together, We Rise: My Visit to the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference

Gathering The Community

Too often, people with disabilities are sidelined from important discussions. Our voices are left out of the rooms where decisions are made, our experiences treated as afterthoughts. But at the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference, our needs are front and center, and that is exactly why I keep coming back.

On March 11, I had the privilege of attending the 41st Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California. For more than four decades, this remarkable event has provided a forum for leaders to share, listen, and learn from expert innovators and advocates alike. It is the largest conference of its kind in the world, and year after year, it brings together thousands of people: researchers, educators, technologists, advocates, and users of assistive technology. All united by the belief that everyone deserves full access and participation in the world around them.

I was glad to be there again, to meet those who dedicate their lives to increasing accessibility.

When I spoke to the audience that day, I talked about something I know personally: overcoming huge obstacles. After I was shot in 2011, my recovery was long and difficult. I faced challenges I never could have imagined: relearning how to walk, how to speak, how to do things that once came so easily. Aphasia changed the way I communicate, and there were many days when progress felt painfully slow.

But here is what I have learned: no one overcomes huge obstacles alone. It takes other people. It takes therapists who refuse to give up on you, family members who hold your hand through the hardest moments, friends who remind you of your own strength, and communities that show up for you. My recovery would not have been possible without the people who surrounded me with support, expertise, and love.

That is what makes CSUN so special. It is a place where people show up for each other. The accessibility professionals, the disability advocates, and the technology innovators are all there because they believe in a world where barriers come down and possibilities open up. They are doing the work every single day to make sure that people with disabilities can fully participate in education, in the workplace, and in life.

All In One Frame

One of my favorite moments of the day was taking a selfie with the whole audience. That photo captured something beautiful. A room full of people who care deeply about making the world more accessible, all together in one frame. It was a snapshot of what the disability community looks like when we come together: joyful, determined, and powerful.

After my remarks, I had the chance to meet with attendees. Those conversations meant the world to me. I met people who shared their own stories of overcoming obstacles, people who told me about the assistive technologies that have changed their lives, and people who are working tirelessly to ensure that the digital world does not leave anyone behind. Every handshake, every hug, every photo was a reminder that this movement is fueled by real people with real dedication.

Reflecting on my time at CSUN, I am filled with hope. The challenges facing people with disabilities are real and urgent. But so is the community working to meet those challenges head-on. As long as people continue doing this work, progress will continue. 

To everyone I met at the conference: thank you. Thank you for your passion, your persistence, and your commitment to a more accessible world. Together, we rise.