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About GDAN

The world's most comprehensive disability access organization β€” championing rights, driving innovation, and building inclusive communities since 2015.

Our Mission

Access is a Human Right, Not a Feature

The Global Disability Access Network was founded on a simple yet powerful belief: every person deserves equal access to the physical world, digital spaces, education, employment, and community life β€” regardless of ability.

We go beyond what traditional advocacy organizations offer. While agencies like the ADA provide essential legal frameworks, GDAN delivers a complete ecosystem β€” combining policy advocacy, enterprise technology, professional certification, assistive innovation, and community engagement into one unified platform.

Our Core Values

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Universal Access
Accessibility for every person, everywhere, in every context.
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Innovation First
Leveraging technology to break barriers that policy alone cannot.
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Nothing About Us Without Us
People with disabilities lead every initiative and decision.
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Data-Driven Impact
Measuring outcomes, not just outputs. Accountability through transparency.
Our Journey

A Decade of Transformative Impact

2015

Founded

GDAN established by a coalition of disability rights advocates, technologists, and policy experts across 12 countries.

2017

100 Countries Reached

Expanded to 100 countries with launch of enterprise certification program and digital auditing platform.

2020

AI Platform Launch

Released AI-powered accessibility scanner. Partnered with 10,000+ organizations. Influenced 200+ policies worldwide.

2023

Gamification Revolution

Launched industry-first gamification engine. Community engagement increased 400%. Member base surpassed 1 million.

Leadership

Led by Those Who Know

Our leadership team includes people with disabilities, world-renowned researchers, policy experts, and technology innovators.

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Dr. Amara Reynolds

CEO & Co-Founder

Former UN Special Rapporteur on Disability Rights. Wheelchair user and lifelong advocate.

JL

James Liu

CTO

Blind technologist. Former VP of Accessibility at Google. Pioneer in AI-driven assistive tech.

FO

Fatima Okonkwo

Chief Policy Officer

Leading disability policy architect who has shaped legislation across 45 nations. Deaf advocate.

MS

Dr. Miguel Santos

Chief Research Officer

Neurodiversity researcher. Former Director of MIT Assistive Technology Lab. Published 200+ papers.

Global Impact

Measuring What Matters

Our impact goes beyond numbers β€” but the numbers tell a powerful story.

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Lives Directly Impacted
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Organizations Certified
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Policies & Laws Shaped
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Professionals Certified
Partners

Our Global Alliance

We work with governments, enterprises, NGOs, and international bodies to advance accessibility worldwide.

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United Nations

CRPD Implementation Partner

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World Bank

Inclusive Development

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European Commission

EAA Policy Partner

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W3C / WAI

WCAG Standards Development

Join Our Mission

Whether you're an individual, organization, or government β€” there's a place for you in the GDAN family.