As a thought leader in the Web Accessibility space, ii extends its support to the Disability initiative of NASSCOM foundation and sponsors the track at the prestigious India leadership forum 2007 held in Mumbai from 07th – 09th February 2007.

Key highlights of this event included sessions, special tracks, round tables and panel discussions covering all the aspects of the IT and ITES industry. The Global CSR Conclave track covered broad spectrum of issues related to the new CSR model the companies need to incorporate, that could play an instrumental role in not just developing the country’s social space, but also extending India’s edge in the global markets. Some of the prominent speakers covering Track-sessions:

• Prof. Amartya Sen, Noted Economist & Nobel Laureate
• Larry Irving, Former Assistant Secretary, U.S Department of Commerce; Former principal advisor to U.S President, Vice President and Secretary of Commerce on Information & Communication policy issues
• Dr.Paul Ackerman, Advisor, Accessibility Practice – iridium Interactive Limited
• Nandan Nilenkani, CEO & Managing Director, Infosys
• Kiran Karnik, President, NASSCOM
• Saurabh Srivastava, Chairman NASSCOM Foundation; President TiE Delhi; Founder, Xansa India
• Harish Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director, Onward Technologies Ltd; Vice Chairman, NASSCOM Foundation
• Dr. Lavanian, Former Co- Convener Sub committee on Standards, Govt. Task Force for Telemedicine
• Dr. Ganapathy, Head, Apollo Telemedicine Foundation; President, Neurological Society of India; Secretary, Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgery
• Dr. Hegde, Deputy Director-A, ISRO
• Dr. Kim, Arvind Eye Hospital
• Dr. Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya

Dr.Paul Ackerman spoke on “Tapping the invisible workforce”.

Dr. Paul R Ackerman, International consultant – Disability & Leadership and Advisor Accessibility Practice – iridium Interactive Limited earlier held the position of Associate Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a unit of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the US Department of Education. In that position he directed all program planning, budgeting and evaluation for NIDRR, funded at 120 million dollars with over 400 grantees and ten different research, development, and technical assistance categories of funding. Prior to this, he was the Director of International and Interagency Activities for NIDRR, where he was responsible for international program of research, exchange and intergovernmental relations, and a coalition of Federal representatives of programs which fund research in the rehabilitation of Americans with disabilities and their families.

He has served Federal agencies dealing with domestic and international rehabilitation and special education for over thirty years. He taught special education and rehabilitation courses at Columbia University and the University of Maryland; he directed special education programs at the State government level in Kansas, and he was Assistant Executive Secretary of the Council for Exceptional Children. He has also done clinical and research work for the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas, Highland Psychiatric Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina and the Center for Urban Education in New York City.

Dr. Ackerman has a Baccalaureate and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Willamette University, Salem Oregon, and the University of Kansas respectively. His Ph.D. is in special education and child psychology from Columbia University, New York City.

He is the co-author of three books on parenting. “Between Parent and School” was written for families of children at risk for disability. “Signals” was on the Book-of-the-Month Club lists for four years. “Parents After Thirty” was translated into four languages. He was also the single author of a treatment research book in special education and is the author of many chapters and articles in journals and collections.

About iridium Interactive (ii)

ii is a full service internet consultancy firm, integrating strategy, design technology & online marketing to build user centric e-business & e-learning solutions. With a track record of 7+ years of experience and more than 200+ engagements across the globe with offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Hamburg, Singapore, New Delhi & Hyderabad. ii is committed to the cause of making the web accessible to the visually impaired and differently-abled.

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