The Assistive Technology Makers' Fair: Making AT for All Conference & Expo will take place in Concord, NH on Saturday, September 29, 2018.
The AT Makers’ Fair will inspire participants to become creative problem solvers, bringing together makers of all abilities to share ideas, develop new skills and enhance innovations for persons with disabilities. The Fair will empower individuals with the methods, materials, and know-how needed to efficiently create everyday just-in-time devices and technologies. Participants, exhibitors, and presenters are coming from more than 20 states, territories, and Canadian provinces.
The conference will begin with Assistive Technology (AT) keynotes by Dr. Therese Willkomm and Bill Binko. Highlights for the day include:
- Make AT Café: Participants will have an opportunity to create more than ten different AT devices that can be taken home with them.
- AT Invention Contest: Participants have been invited to exhibit their assistive technology inventions. Those in attendance will vote for their favorite inventions, and the winner will receive the 2018 Maker of the Year award, presented by a representative from the AT Invention Contest Sponsor, BAE Systems.
- AT Maker Workshops: Participants will choose from 25 sessions in five strands to increase their knowledge and skills around creating assistive technology for all users. Conducted by presenters around North America, participants will be able to partake in five of the sessions choosing from diverse offerings – from program innovations to device inventions.
- Exhibit Hall: There will be an exhibit hall with companies and organizations that manufacture, distribute, and support AT use.
Planned by a national committee of assistive technology stakeholders, the AT Makers Fair is hosted by Assistive Technology in New Hampshire (ATinNH), New Hampshire’s statewide assistive technology program. ATinNH is a project of the Institute on Disability and provides training, education, and outreach programming as well as equipment demonstrations, loans, and refurbishing. You can learn more about the event at iod.unh.edu/atmakers and ATinNH at www.atinnh.org.
