The CSUN Experience: Interactive Tech for Assistance
by Halley Profita
This year, our research team at EmotiBit attended the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference in Anaheim. It features the newest innovations in Assistive Technology and Accessibility for supporting inclusion and disability. What I was pleasantly surprised to see was the large tech presence and the sheer number of exhibitors and talks demonstrating the new wave of interactive technology aimed to help people with disabilities live independent and more fulfilling lives.
Let’s think about mainstream examples of technology - our phone, watches, our fridge - what they actually do is provide ‘assistance’. It might not be for a specific disability, but they still help us. Interactive maps help us get from point A to point B, recipes help guide us through cooking, and cars help us get to work or transport groceries home. Technology is everywhere, and it’s helping us all day long. And for people with disabilities or differing needs, it may prove to be even more of a game changer in the ways that it can help people lead more independent lives.
At CSUN, Meta* gave an opening talk introducing their AI Smart Glasses. The AI feature allows one to verbally ask a question to the glasses: “Hey Meta, what’s the weather like today?”, and the on-board speakers will provide a response. The glasses also have forward-facing cameras, which can connect to the app called Be My Eyes*. This is a service that pairs a blind end user with sighted volunteers and, when pointing the cameras at an object, the sighted volunteer can tell the end user what they are looking at. This is great for reading nutrition labels, sorting through mail, finding a misplaced object, and much more.
Amazon* was in full force hosting live feedback sessions with attendees about how they could better design their Alexa and Echo product lines to support individuals with disabilities. My personal favorite was the Sony* robotic puppy companion, aibo, which uses deep learning to evolve its own personality. Getting these products in front of everyday users ensures that they are designed in the most helpful and meaningful ways possible.
There are more fantastic companies demonstrating advances in assistive tech than I can get into here, so you can view them all at the CSUN Exhibitor’s List* and watch featured highlights from the videos linked below. To check out the talk we gave at the conference, it’s on our EmotiBit Blog! I hope you’re inspired at the many ways interactive tech is valuable to all of us!
Videos:
CSUN ATC 2026: Google — What’s New in Google Accessibility? (Featured Presentation)
CSUN ATC 2026: Assistive Technology at Meta: Innovations with Ray-Ban Meta and Neural Band
CSUN ATC 2026: Nike — Innovating for All Athletes (Featured Presentation)
*The content and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and are provided for informational purposes only. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the views or positions of any of the companies mentioned in this article or its affiliates, and the publication of this content does not constitute or imply any endorsement, sponsorship, or approval by said companies.