40th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference Has Concluded
Keynote Address Program
Join us in person to kick off the 40th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference with a perceptive and impactful keynote address and awards presentation. We look forward to gathering together to commence this exciting milestone celebration on Tuesday, March 11th, at 9:00 AM in the Platinum 6 Ballroom and set the stage for an engaging week ahead!
Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to announce Gabrielle Giffords as the Keynote Speaker for the 2025 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords understands what it’s like to face overwhelming barriers. She also understands what it takes to get past them. From her scrappy Arizona childhood, to her bridge-building politics, to her remarkable recovery from traumatic injuries, Gabby personifies courage. Today she leads Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization she co-founded. Giffords is a nonprofit organization that shifts culture, changes policies, and challenges injustice, inspiring Americans across the country to fight gun violence.
On January 8, 2011, at a “Congress On Your Corner” constituent event in Tucson, Gabby was shot in the head by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others. Gabby stepped down from Congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery. As the nation’s eyes were upon her, Gabby embarked on a path to regain her ability to speak and walk, inspiring the country with her resilience and optimistic spirit.
In 2013, after the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, Gabby co-founded the organization today known as Giffords. Over the past decade, the organization has been a leader in the national gun safety movement, making gun safety a kitchen table issue for voters. Giffords has helped gun safety champions win up and down the ballot in local, state, and federal races and worked hard to pass lifesaving legislation in states across the country and in the US House of Representatives.
As she leads Giffords, Gabby continues to make remarkable progress in her recovery. She helps raise awareness about aphasia, the language impairment she has suffered from since her shooting. She enjoys spending her free time playing the French horn, biking, practicing yoga, learning Spanish, and spending time with her husband, Senator Mark Kelly, her stepdaughters, Claudia and Claire, and being a “GG” to Claudia’s daughter, Sage.
Don't miss this year's Keynote Address as Gabby Giffords kicks off the 2025 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference with memorable and impactful talk.
Strache Leadership Award
The Center on Disabilities annually recognizes a leader who has made a significant impact in education and research. This year, we are pleased to honor David L. Jaffe.
David L. Jaffe is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Stanford University where he has taught Perspectives in Assistive Technology for the past 18 years. The course explores the broad spectrum of issues surrounding the design, development, and use of technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults. Students pursue projects that address a challenge experienced by these individuals who live in the local community by designing and fabricating a functional assistive technology device. Guest lecturers, a field trip, an Assistive Technology Fair, a film screening, student project presentations, and an end-of-term project demonstration are the basis of the class sessions.
In addition to organizing this course, Dave contributes to the definition of quarterly course projects in the ME218 Smart Product Design course, coaches teams in the ME capstone course, and mentors students working on assistive technology projects.
Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research
Each year, the Journal Track submission with the highest marks is recognized with the Dr. Arthur Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research. Award winners are honored for their exemplary submission and excellence in research and the advancement of assistive technology.
The 2025 Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research is awarded to "A Comparison of Different Styles of Speech for Mathematics" by Neil Soiffer.