ACMA & Comms Alliance to update consumers on new comms technologies

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 07 August 2007 06:36

IT Industry - Deals

The ACMA and Communications Alliance are to jointly present the inaugural Communications Consumer Dialogue: a day-long conference to be held in Sydney on 22 August that will focus on how new and emerging technologies might benefit consumers.

ACMA deputy chair, Louise Sylvan,, will deliver the keynote address, There will be three panel sessions: What technologies are on the horizon? How will future technologies assist with accessibility? And Empowering consumers – the way forward.

According to ACMA chairman, Chris Chapman, "The Dialogue provides an exciting and new opportunity for Australian consumers and their representatives to gather, learn from and interact with a diverse and challenging array of speakers, as well as each other. To achieve this, the three panel sessions will be highly interactive."

He added: "I'm particularly happy that the event will provide a stage for representatives of disabled consumers to focus on the benefits and challenges that new technologies will offer to people with disabilities and their families."

Panel sessions will feature expert participants from industry, special interest and advocacy groups including: Laurel Papworth, online communities strategist, World Communities; Mark Pesce, writer, inventor and researcher; Michael McLeod, CEO Message Stick; Graeme Innes, disability discrimination commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; Alex Varley, CEO, Media Access Australia; Tim Noonan, consultant; Dr Christopher Newell, associate professor, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania; Teresa Corbin, CEO Consumers ‘ Telecommunications Network; Mara Bun, head of research, Cannex; Professor Katherine Blashki, chair of New Media Technologies, Deakin University; and Chris Cheah, MEMBER, ACMA.

The event is open to all and free of charge. It will be held at the Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn St, Sydney, on 22 August 2007. Further information and registration here .