BBI chairman to deliver keynote at disability conference

University Professor Peter Blanck, chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, will deliver the keynote address at the Coleman Institute Conference on Oct. 13. Blanck’s talk, “Toward the Right to Equal Technology Access for People with Cognitive Disabilities,” will focus on how new technology, social and economic environments impact people living with cognitive disabilities, as well as their civil rights under laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Coleman Institute also has commissioned Blanck to write a White Paper on the topic.

The Coleman Institute is an organization established in 2001 to improve the quality of life for people with cognitive disabilities by harnessing advancements in science and technology. The theme for this year’s conference, held in Boulder, Colo., is “State of the States, State of the Nation: 2011.” The event’s speakers and panel discussions will focus on how topics such as tight federal funding and state budgets affect people living with cognitive disabilities.

Blanck will close the conference with his keynote address on the civil right to technology access, with an emphasis on Internet technology, for people with cognitive disabilities. His talk will include an overview of his efforts to help define a right to access web technology for people with cognitive and other disabilities.