GAATES Presentation at WSIS 2012

GAATES Founder and Past President - Betty Dion, will be delivering a presentation on a recent GAATES project, UNESCO Global Report "New Avenues for Empowerment: ICTs in education for Persons with Disabilities" at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS 2012) Conference being held in Geneva Switzerland May 14-18, 2012.

UNESCO will host the Interactive Session on "Innovative use of ICTs for Accessible Education", from 16:15 to 18:00, Room XI (Room 11) at the ILO building. The event will discuss how innovative technological solutions could provide new educational opportunities for persons with disabilities. Betty will present on the major findings of the research report. Visit the World Summit on the Information Society website for more information

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GAATES, King Abdullah foundation sign agreement to improve housing sector

RIYADH — Dr. Khalid Al-Sekait, general supervisor of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Foundation's Chair for Developmental Housing, and Architect Mukhtar Al-Shaibani, president of the Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES), signed Tuesday a memorandum of understanding at the meeting hall of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning in King Saud University.

The Saudi Gazette has the complete story...

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GAATES and Design for All Foundation sign Collaborative Agreement

The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) and the Design for All Foundation are pleased to announce a collaborative agreement whereby it is the will of the two organisations to collaborate in order to promote, increase the knowledge of and disseminate information related to the concepts of Universal Design and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). In addition, the organizations will work together to promote the ideals of the both the Design for All Foundation and GAATES, through a programme to be jointly developed.

The Design for All Foundation is a private and non-profit international foundation, having as its main purpose to work so that environments, products and services respect human diversity through the Design for All.

GAATES is widely recognized as a leading international non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to the promotion of accessible built and virtual environments. GAATES was incorporated in 2007 by an international consortium dedicated to providing leadership and promoting accessibility of information and communications technologies, accessible transportation, habitat and built environments.

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GAATES announces slate of country representatives

The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) is pleased to announce our new Country Representatives.

The GAATES Country Representatives will be working to support the GAATES mission of promoting accessibility of the built, social and virtual environments, so that people with disabilities and older persons are able to fully participate and contribute to society.

From the African Region, GAATES is pleased to welcome: Cretus Kapato (Zambia),

James Rwampigi (Uganda), Peter Bodo Ong'aro (Kenya), and Gabriel Ondoua Abah (Cameroon). From the Arab/Middle East Region, GAATES welcomes: Abdul Khaliq Zazai (Afghanistan), and Rajaa Ben Hameda (Libya). From the Asia-Pacific Region, we welcome KC Deepak (Nepal) and Charles Mendis (Sri Lanka).

The Country Representatives will be supporting GAATES activities by providing the board with information on activities in their country, working with the board on project ideas and proposals, and by hosting a conference or workshop in their country.

We congratulate these successful candidates and look forward to working with them as an integral part of the GAATES organization.

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GAATES V.P. Cynthia Waddell to meet with US President Barack Obama

GAATES 1st Vice President Cynthia Waddell has accepted an invitation from the White House to meet President Obama on Wednesday, 14 March 2012. Cynthia has been invited to the arrival ceremony for the Right Honorable David Cameron, M.P., Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Mrs. Samantha Cameron the Prime Minister of the UK and his wife. This invitation is related to her recent university lecture tour in Ireland on the US technology & telecom law- 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), her presentation for the Irish regulators in Dublin, as well as her participation in the M-Enabling Summit given by the FCC, G3ict and ITU in Washington.

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Accessible Transportation Committee Announcement

PRESS RELEASE

GAATES is pleased to announce the formation of the Accessible Transportation Committee. The Committee is being Chaired by Internationally recognized expert Ann Frye. Ann is an independent consultant specializing in the transport needs of persons with a disability and older people. As Head of the Mobility & Inclusion Unit at the Department for Transport in the UK, she developed and implemented a major programme of research, legislation and education over 25 years, to promote the mobility of disabled and older people as public transport users, as motorists and as pedestrians.

If you have an interest or expertise in accessible transportation, we encourage you to send us your resume and expression of interest in joining this new and exciting committee. Please send the information to Marnie Peters at GAATES

Additional Information:

• Participation on the Committee is on a volunteer basis.
• Meetings are conducted via Skype, in English.

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GAATES announces Review of International Best Practice in Accessible Public Transportation for Persons with Disabilities

by Kit Mitchell

This report provides an international overview of the key technical issues on accessible public transportation for persons with disabilities.

Select this link for more information about the document.

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Last updated: May 14, 2012

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