In 2011 E.J.Krause & Associates, Inc (EJK) and the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) agreed to convene the first mobile industry event (M-Enabling) exclusively dedicated to digital accessibility and assistive applications and services for seniors and persons with disabilities.

 

The M stands for Mobile – mobile applications and the mobile network which is connecting devices and services.

 

G3ict is the advocacy initiative of the United Nations Global Alliance for Technology and Development.

More than one billion people worldwide live with disabilities, including a large proportion of senior citizens. They represent a largely untapped market for new and enhanced mobile applications and services. The M-Enabling Summit is the sole global venue exclusively dedicated to supporting innovation and promoting solutions to address this major opportunity.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is one of the fastest ever negotiated Human Rights treaties: adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2006, it has now been signed by 160 countries and ratified by 172 countries (as of March 2017).

 

G3ict’s goal is to facilitate and support the implementation of the dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the accessibility of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and assistive technologies.

M-Enabling Summit is one platform for G3ict to accomplish their mission and reach out to key stakeholders.

M-Enabling Summit takes place annually in Washington in June in cooperation with the FCC – Federal Communications Commission and the ITU – International Telecommunications Union. It is a conference based 2-3 days event with keynote panels, parallel sessions and an evening reception with award celebration. Exhibitors have either table tops or booths in the lobby area. 

 

M-Enabling Summit Washington developed successfully with nearly 600 conference attendees, 160 speakers and 58 sponsors and exhibitors in the 2017 edition. The M-Enabling Global Briefing Tour staged further events in San Francisco, Moscow, Sydney and Milan.

In 2018 and 2019 M-Enabling Forum was held successfully in Düsseldorf alongside REHACARE. Due to the corona situation the events will take  place online: M-Enabling Forum DACH for the German speaking countries on October 7, 2021 and M-Enabling Europe Virtual Leadership Briefing on September 23, 2021.

 

REHACARE, organized by Messe Düsseldorf for 30 years, is the leading conference and exhibition for Independent Living in Europe. The big topics are rehabilitation, prevention, inclusion, care and mobility products and equipment for persons with physical disabilities.

The next REHACARE is scheduled for September 14-17, 2022.