GAATES History

The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) is the leading international organization dedicated to the promotion of accessibility of the built and virtual environments.

Registered as a non-profit NGO in Canada, GAATES was incorporated in 2007 by an international consortium dedicated to promoting accessibility worldwide, and has an international presence in 6 regions: the Asia-Pacific, Arab, North America, South America, European and African Regions.

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 (UN DESA), the United Nations Economic and Social Committee for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

For additional information on GAATES projects, presentations and awards, please follow the links below.

UN Related Projects
Conference of States Parties (COSP) on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Participation with UN Bodies
Project Achievements
Awards
Presentations and Papers