The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) (2007) is an international not-for-profit organization (registered in Canada) that promotes accessibility of technologies and the built environment, and the principles of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the convention are required to promote, ...
. Its areas of interest include
architecture,
infrastructural design,
transportation systems,
habitat, and electronic information and communication technologies (
ICT
ICT may refer to:
Sciences and technology
* Information and communications technology
* Image Constraint Token, in video processing
* Immunochromatographic test, a rapid immunoassay used to detect diseases such as anthrax
* In-circuit test, in ...
). It aims to enable people with disabilities and older persons to fully participate and contribute to society.
GAATES obtained consultative status with the
United Nations Economic and Social Council (
ECOSOC) and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (
DESA) in 2008. GAATES has a collaborative and working relationship with a number of international organizations including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (
UNESCO), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (
UNDESA), the United Nations Economic and Social Committee for Asia Pacific (
UNESCAP
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to increase economic ...
), United Nations Children's Fund (
UNICEF) the International Telecommunication Union (
ITU
The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...
), the
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
;Board of directors (2014)
* President:
Mukhtar Al Shibani (
Saudi Arabia)
* 1st vice president:
Aqeel Qureshi (India/Japan)
* 2nd vice president:
Ann Frye (UK)
* Treasurer: Bob Topping (Canada)
* Secretary: Charles Letourneau (Canada)
* Past-president:
Betty Dion
Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beatri ...
(Canada)
* Honorary counsel:
Ernie Tannis (Canada)
* Honorary chairperson: Her Highness
Sheikha Jameela Bint Mohammed Al Qassimi
;Board members
*
Ahmed El Rida (
Libya)
*
Ilene R. Zeitzer Brazil
*
Jorge Plano
Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker".
The Latin form ''Georgius' ...
(
Argentina)
*
Tim Springer (United States)
*
Joseph Kwan
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
(
Hong Kong/China)
*
Axel Leblois
Axel may refer to:
People
* Axel (name), all persons with the name
Places
* Axel, Netherlands, a town
** Capture of Axel, a battle at Axel in 1586
Arts, entertainment, media
* ''Axel'', a 1988 short film by Nigel Wingrove
* ''Axel'', a Cirque ...
(France)
*
Eoin O'Herlihy
Eoin (, or ) is an Irish name. The Scottish Gaelic equivalent is () and both are closely related to the Welsh . It is also cognate with the Irish . In the Irish language, it is the name used for all Biblical figures known as ''John'' in Engl ...
(Ireland)
*
Tom Rickert (United States)
*
Victor Pineda (United States)
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.gaates.org/
Disability organizations based in Canada