“We looked at what the [technology] industry is already doing in philanthropy, and we realized that there were two growing yet often overlooked populations that was older adults and people with disabilities,” explains Stephen Ewell, executive director of the Consumer Technology Association Foundation.

The CTA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) which produces CES.

Ewell joined WorkingNation’s editor-in-chief Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation Overheard at CES 2024 in Las Vegas to share his thoughts on how technology is improving the lives of older adults and people with disabilities.

He says the organization supports the mission through three pillars – convening, innovation, and grantmaking.

Ewell says he sees the “promise” technology holds to improve lives. “There’s so much incredible innovation out there. There are challenges. I will absolutely agree with that.

He notes a variety of programs are helping people, “One is looking at the types of technologies that can create social connections, looking at the types of technologies that can help people stay in the workforce longer if they choose to and if they want to. In many cases, some people need to stay in the workforce longer. So, helping to enable that, getting people connected with the skills that they need.

Ewell continues, “A lot of the programs we support are around technology, training, and education. We see that there’s a real gap in awareness, both from consumers knowing what technologies are out there that they could need or could use, but also from companies being aware of the needs of older adults and people with disabilities.

“That’s once again why we try to really advance these conversations because we can see the way that just addressing this and including older adults in these discussions makes a massive difference in the opportunity for those technologies to help people.”

Ewell is positive about the role tech is playing, “When I meet these founders and look at the types of ideas that they’re creating, the problems that they’re trying to solve, I’m really a technology optimist for the opportunities that this technology can provide across work, home, and out at play.”

Learn more about the Consumer Technology Association Foundation.
Learn more about CES 2024.

Funding for WorkingNation Overheard at CES 2024 was provided, in part, by Walmart.