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From: Jennison Mark Asuncion
Date: Wed, Jul 20 2016 3:52PM
Subject: Fwd: Press Release: G3ict to Acquire IAAP
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Thought some here might find this of interest.

Jennison

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: G3ict - The Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs <
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Date: Wed, Jul 20, 2016 at 7:34 AM
Subject: Press Release: G3ict to Acquire IAAP


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[image: release-top.gif]

*[image: G3ict Logo] *[image: IAAP-Logo]



*G3ICT TO ACQUIRE IAAP AND ACCELERATE GROWTH OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF
ACCESSIBILITY PROFESSIONALS *



*ATLANTA, GA (July 20, 2016) *-- IAAP, the International Association of
Accessibility Professionals and G3ict, the Global Initiative for Inclusive
Information and Communication Technologies, announced today that G3ict will
be acquiring IAAP in a merger aimed at promoting the accessibility
profession on a more global scale. Under this agreement, IAAP will become
part of G3ict, effective immediately, but will continue its mission to
define, promote and improve the accessibility profession globally through
networking, education and certification in order to enable the creation of
accessible products, content and services. This joint decision by the
Boards of IAAP and G3ict reflects the strategic alignment of these
organizations and a shared need to respond to rapidly growing, unmet
worldwide demand for IT professionals, developers, educators, business
leaders, and content creators knowledgeable in accessibility.
Under the agreement, IAAP programs (including online communities,
professional education, certification, membership and events) will be
operated as a new division of G3ict. All existing IAAP membership benefits
and services will remain unchanged, and IAAP certification programs will be
further enhanced with new tracks and content to address the needs of
international markets and more specialized areas of expertise, such as web
accessibility.

This critical global need for accessibility professionals is driven by four
key factors: (1) Increasing compliance requirements in countries with
existing accessibility legislation; (2) Ratification of the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by 166 countries, which
obligates those governments to ensure information and communication
technologies are accessible to persons with disabilities; (3) Aging
demographics in major markets, which greatly increases the population
needing accessible solutions; and (4) Intense competition in the IT
industry to provide superior digital experiences to consumers of digital
content, products and services.

"The G3ict and IAAP missions have always been very well aligned. So, this
opportunity to directly align our investments and programs is a major step
forward that will enable IAAP and its members to continue doing the same
great work — but with greater efficiency and broader impact. By aligning
our day-to-day operations with G3ict, we will expand IAAP's global
footprint, help more professionals around the world develop important
accessibility skills, make it easier to achieve the goals of the CRPD, and
ultimately improve the lives of millions of people with disabilities around
the world," said Rob Sinclair, President of the IAAP Board of Directors.

The merger leverages the strengths of both organizations: IAAP's large,
multi-national membership, training resources, and industry-leading
certification program; and the G3ict's global reach and trusted
consultation with governments, corporations, academic institutions, and
advocacy organizations around the world. It represents a natural step for
both organizations that are well-known among constituents dedicated to
promoting the accessibility of information and communication technologies.

Sharon Spencer, whose role was instrumental in developing IAAP from its
inception, will serve as Director of IAAP for G3ict and lead the immediate
transition of IAAP operations to G3ict. Members of the current IAAP Board
have been appointed to the IAAP Global Leadership Team and will be
responsible for overseeing all current and future developments of IAAP
programs. The technical, academic and logistics aspects of the IAAP
training and certification programs will be managed in partnership with the
Alternate Media Access Center (AMAC) at the Georgia Institute of
Technology. AMAC will also help ensure all IAAP programs and web sites are
fully accessible.

Ambassador Luis Gallegos, Chair of the Board of G3ict, and former Chair of
the United Nations General Assembly Ad hoc Preparatory Committee for the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, highlighted: "We are
extremely pleased to see this merger formed at a time when the lack of
skilled accessibility professionals constitutes a major roadblock to fully
realize the promises of the Convention. We look forward to making a real
difference in promoting the IAAP programs around the world."

"It is a very timely opportunity for G3ict to work closely with the IAAP
leadership to promote the association's training and certification programs
worldwide. Those activities and the global footprint of IAAP testing
centers will directly complement our work since ten years in promoting CRPD
compliant accessibility policies and programs around the world. IAAP's
networking tools will enable professionals working in accessibility to help
learn from each other and spread ICT accessibility even more broadly. It
will allow us to offer practical resources for governments, corporations
and academia to rapidly build their capacity to develop and maintain
accessible digital content and services. The IAAP programs will
considerably enhance G3ict's ability to fulfill its mission of promoting
the rights of persons with disabilities in the digital age," said Axel
Leblois, Founder and President of G3ict.

*# # #*

*About IAAP*
The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) is a
membership-based organization for individuals and organizations that are
focused on accessibility or are in the process of building their
accessibility skills and strategies. The objective of this association is
to help accessibility professionals develop and advance their careers and
to help organizations integrate accessibility into their products and
infrastructure. The IAAP will provide a place for accessibility
professionals around the world to gather, share experiences and enrich
their knowledge of accessibility. Visit: www.accessibilityassociation
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?G3ictTheGlobalInitia/c43c3411e6/6a5473717b/5a763bc281>;
.org
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?G3ictTheGlobalInitia/c43c3411e6/6a5473717b/ec4c808fa8>;
.

*About G3ict*
G3ict - the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs is an advocacy initiative
launched in December 2006 by the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and
Development, in cooperation with the Secretariat for the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities at UN DESA. Its mission is to
facilitate and support the implementation of the dispositions of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the accessibility
of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and assistive
technologies. G3ict relies on an international network of ICT accessibility
experts to develop and promote good practices, technical resources and
benchmarks for ICT accessibility advocates around the world. It is
incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of Georgia, USA, and
headquartered in Atlanta. Visit www.g3ict.org
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?G3ictTheGlobalInitia/c43c3411e6/6a5473717b/4dc704495a>;
.

For more information, please contact:

*IAAP*
Sharon Spencer
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

*G3ict*
Francesca Cesa Bianchi
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =


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