Klaus Miesenberger

Klaus Miesenberger
Institute “Integrated Study”,
Johannes Kepler University Linz

Klaus Miesenberger is vice head of Institute Integriert Studieren at the University of Linz, Austria. He has a background computer science and economics. He is responsible for R&D and teaching at the institute which also runs a service centre for students with disabilities. In 2000 he was guest professor at the Université Claude Bernard, Lyon II. He gives lectures at different Austrian universities and teacher training academies. His research and teaching is related to Assistive Technologies, eAccessibility and Design for All. He has been involved in more than 60 national and international R&D projects in these fields. He:

• chairs the working group “Computer Science with/for People with Special Needs” of the Austrian Computer Society.
• acts as the organising and publishing chair of ICCHP (International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs
• is member of the scientific and professional societies IFIP, working group 13.3 (HCI and People with Special Needs), OCG, AAATE and FEDORA
• is member of the board of ALS (Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Lehr- und Lernmittelerstellung für Sehgeschädigte), responsible for access to school books for school children in electronic form, co-operation with authors and publishers and general management
• is the founder and the chair of the international association “International Computer Camps”, organising annual computer training events for young blind and visually handicapped students. More than 1000 blind and visually handicapped students from more than 30 countries took part in these events since 1993.
• is co-founder of the association UNIABILITY, the organisation of professional counsellors for students with disabilities or chronic diseases at universities in Austria.
• acts as the managing director of National Contact Point for EDeAN (European Design for All e-Accessibility Network)
• is the scientific co-ordinator for two University distance learning courses, both four semesters: “Barrier Free Web Design” and “Assistive Technologies”
• set up and chairs the Regional Competence Centre IT for People with disabilities (KI-I) for the Regional Government Upper Austria
• is President of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE)