LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
July 14-16, 2003
TDI (Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.) announces the
selection of Las Vegas, Nevada, as the site for the 15th Biennial TDI International Conference, which will be held at the
Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa on July 14 - 16, 2003. As
with previous TDI conferences, this event promises many presentations and demonstrations by visionaries who are
reshaping the telecommunications landscape for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened or deaf-blind and their families as well as the professionals who work with them.
More than 400 participants - deaf, hard of hearing,
late-deafened and deaf-blind consumers, vendors and key officials - are expected to gather at the 15th Biennial TDI International Conference. Attendees will view state-of-the-art technologies with great potential to expand opportunities, increase accessibility, and foster new possibilities for ease in communication. Officials along with key staff members from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other federal and state government agencies, as well as corporate leaders are anticipated to be in attendance.
There have been several changes in the political and technological climate since the previous conference. As a key aspect of this conference, participants will examine the growth of digital technologies and its impact on accessibility that we have accomplished with analog technologies. Would this new technology be a step forward with improved features, or a step back while consumers with hearing loss wait for the next upgrade to regain our access? Typical conference sessions will cover issues and topics such as: New Telecommunications and Media Technologies, Emerging Technology and Standards Development, and Consumers Achieving Full Independence in the Digital Era. In addition to areas we have explored in the past, new realities have arisen that demand our attention, especially in the area of homeland security.
Companies and organizations exhibiting at the Conference will highlight the latest in technology for consumers who are deaf and hard of hearing. These exhibitors are expected to represent a variety of technology sectors including: digital, video, information technology (IT), emerging technologies, broadband, mobile electronics, personal electronics, content media, specialty video conferencing, delivery systems, the Internet, telephony and wireless communications. The exhibits will be open to the public free of charge during the Conference July 14 - 16.
The theme of this Conference, “Beating the Odds with Communications Access” brings out the excitement of Las Vegas. While the city is a popular destination for fun and escape from the realities back home, the Conference is where we can combine our dreams of access and work together to bring them to reality. In the old days, the odds were against accessible communication and we had to struggle to get even the basic information. Now today, we can say we have made some progress. As the spinning wheel on the slot machine in the logo shows, we still need to strive to achieve access small and large despite the barriers that come our way. TDI hopes that through directives and consensus from this Conference and with support from society, industry and government, we will move closer still to full integration.
“TDI is the world’s leading advocacy organization promoting equal access to the latest telecommunications and media for deaf and hard of hearing consumers,” said Dr. Roy Miller, President of TDI. “Our biennial conference encourages telecommunications, media and consumer technology industries to maintain and build on a meaningful working relationship with members of the public who have a hearing loss where everybody wins.”
Secretary of the TDI Board of Directors and Conference Program Chair, Tom Driscoll adds, “TDI’s biennial conferences are critical times for industry, technology, business, media, government, education pioneers to gather under the same roof and talk shop. However, the opportunity for the everyday consumer to interface with and influence those who ride the crest of the wave of telecommunications and media technology progress cannot be underestimated.”
The TDI Conference is only minutes from the glamour and action of the Las Vegas Strip and McCarran Airport, where you’ll find the relaxed pace of Nevada’s newest exclusive resort, the 450,000 square foot Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa. Opened in December 2001 and recently voted “Best Local Hotel” by the Las Vegas Review Journal, Green Valley Ranch offers a world-class 201-room hotel, a 10,000 square foot European-style spa and a casino with everyone’s favorite games. For more information, go to
www.greenvalleyranchresort.com.
In recent years, Las Vegas has made itself a playground for the whole family, making it one of the top destinations for vacations and conferences. Mega-hotels and themed resorts catering to a variety of interests line the Strip. These properties feature not only gambling casinos but also a wide array of attractions ranging from a roller coaster ride atop the Stratosphere Tower to a battle of the pirates at Treasure Island at The Mirage. Within a day’s drive, Conference attendees can escape to see Lake Mead, the largest manmade lake formed by Hoover Dam, or Red Rock Canyon with its unique natural rock formations. Tourists, young and old, will find plenty of amusement to make their trip a memorable one. Although daytime temperatures can reach an excess of 100 degrees, the nighttime climate will be an enjoyable 75 degrees in July. For more information to help plan your trip to the TDI Conference in Las Vegas, go to
www.onlylasvegas.com.
Register now for an early-bird combo ticket to the TDI Conference, an event you can’t afford to miss. For more information about the TDI Conference,
click on links on the left side of this webpage.
