G3ICT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief, Secretariat for the CRPD / UN DESA
Job Titles:
- International Advisor
- Head of the ICT Accessibility Lab, Zurich University for Applied Sciences Center of Accessibility, Credit Suisse Group
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Ambassador Luis Gallegos, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, Republic of Ecuador; former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York, and Past Chair of the UN General Assembly Ad-hoc Preparatory Committee of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Job Titles:
- Head of Delegation to the ITU
Job Titles:
- Director, Accessibility, Adobe
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Leadership Team
- President
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Director of Publishing Services, G3ict ( Treasurer )
- Director Publishing Services
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Certification Program Coordinator, IAAP
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Co - Founder, W2i
Job Titles:
- Independent Consultant
- International Advisor
- Director, Access and Inclusion, David Banes Access, Director, DATEurope
- Director, David Banes Access and Inclusion Services and Board Member, DATEurope
David Banes is an independent consultant with over 30 years experience of supporting access and inclusion through technology. He is a Board Member at DATEurope. David is also former CEO of Mada (Qatar Assistive Technology Center) and works extensively across the world supporting the implementation of assistive technologies. He has a particular interest in supporting the needs of refugees and those in Low and Medium income countries and the potential of emerging technologies.
Job Titles:
- International Advisor
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chairman, IAAP 2024 Global Leadership Council
- President, David Berman Communications PDF / UA Committee Member Chair of the Carleton University Access Network
Job Titles:
- International Advisor
- CEO, Assistive Technologies Industry Association ( ATIA )
Job Titles:
- CEO and Founder, Ruh Global IMPACT and Chair, G3ict Employability and Technology Group
- Chairman of Committee
- Chairman, G3ict EmployAbility
- Managing Partner at Ruh Global
Debra Ruh has been in the ICT Accessibility and Disability Inclusion industries for many years. Currently she is the Managing Director of Ruh Global a business focused on inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of society. In 2001, she founded TecAccess, the leading provider of accessible Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) for the largest and fastest growing minority group - People with Disabilities, Baby Boomers, and Veterans with Disabilities in the world. TecAccess merged with SSB BART Group (SSB) in April 2011 and Debra took on the role as the Chief Marketing Officer for SSB until December 2012.
She is a proud Mom of two grown children the oldest a daughter born with Down syndrome. Her daughter, Sara inspired Debra to start a business that understood the value of including people with disabilities in the workforce. Today, Sara and Debra speak all over the world about inclusion, diversity, social inclusion, digital divide, Internet, Communications and Technology (ICT) Accessibility, HR Best Practices, Entrepreneurs and Small Business Issues and Women Business Best Practices. Debra Ruh serves as the former Chair of the VABLN and board member and executive officer of the USBLN. She is also on the steering committee, and is chair the Employability and Technology Group, at G3ict, the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies, a flagship advocacy initiative of UN-GAID, the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development. Additionally, Debra serves on the RI Global Board invited to participate by U.N. Ambassador Gallegos of Ecuador, a global network of people with disabilities, service providers, researchers, government agencies and advocates promoting and implementing the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. She was selected as the US represented on the Australian Government Expert Reference Group and has served on the group since 2009. As a highly sought after international keynote speaker, Debra speaks all over the world. Her presentations have been enjoyed by members of the European Union; Shafallah Forum 2009 and 2011 in Muscat Oman, Doha, Qatar; Dell and Bloomberg's 75 Top Female Global Leaders in Shanghai, China, International Forum on Disability Management in Berlin, Germany; for ITU Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Mainstreaming ICT Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in Bangkok, Thailand and for Danishkadah (Pakistan) for the Parents-educators self-help organization (SHO). Debra is active on social media and works tirelessly to assure that PwD have a solid voice. Her work has been featured in major mediums including CBS, CNN, PBS, INC, Bloomberg and Business Week Magazines and Fortune Magazine. She also writes blogs for major publications including SSB BART Group, Tumblr; UN's G3ict and "Think Beyond the Label". Debra has won many awards, and has been featured in numerous national media campaigns, for her efforts including: Dell Computer's "Take Your Own Path" 2009, 2010 and 2011 campaign (TV, Radio, Print, Web), American Express Open 2009 campaign, 2009 VMFA Muse Award, Federal Computer Week's 2008 "Fed Top 100 Award," ANCOR Foundation's 2008 Community Builder Award, Dell's 2008 "Innovative Business" Award, 2007 Enterprising Women Magazine's Advocacy Award, Northrop Grumman's 2007 Community Support Award, 2007 Wells Fargo/NAWBO "Trailblazer" Award, 2006 Women in Technology (WIT) Leadership Award, 2005 Rising Star award by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 2005 Social Responsibility Award by the America-China Foundation, 2005 SBA Small Business Person of the Year for Region III, and was picked as one of the "Most Powerful Women in IT" by Virginia Business Magazine. Debra has authored many articles for national publications and is a major supporter for the rights of people and veterans with disabilities. TecAccess and SSB have been featured on CNN, NPR, CBS, ABC, NBC and in Fortune Magazine, Publishers Weekly, US News & World Report, America's Best, and Washington Technology. Email her: debra@ruhglobal.com and visit her website: www.RuhGlobal.com.
Debra Ruh, Managing Partner at Ruh Global, pays tribute to Cynthia Waddell and Stephen Wing, both thought leaders and champions of promoting a disability inclusive society. It is always sad to lose our friends and especially sad when they are Thought Leaders making huge positive changes in the world... Read More
Eoin O'Herlihy is a Chartered Engineer, an independent accessibility and Universal Design consultant/trainer and Managing Director of O'Herlihy Access Consultancy (OHAC). Eoin has over 18 years' international experience advising on Universal Design and accessibility is an IAAP Level 3 Certified Expert Accessibility Professional in Accessible Built Environment. He is passionate about accessibility and making all aspects of society more accessible and usable for everyone. Eoin recognises that the barriers faced by people with disabilities and other user groups come in many forms (physical, attitudinal, technological, communication, transport, and employment) and aims to support organisations around the world to remove these barriers and create a more inclusive society.
Job Titles:
- Social Affairs Officer, Secretariat for the CRPD / UN DESA
Job Titles:
- Faculty Director, Program on Law and Government, American University Washington College of Law
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Committee
- Chairman, G3ict Committee on Digital Inclusion and Accessibility for Older Persons, and IAAP East Asia Liaison
- East Asia Liaison
- Founder, FrancesWestCo, Former IBM Chief Accessibility Officer and Chair, Strategy & Development Committee
Frances West is an internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, strategy advisor, and women-in-technology trailblazer known for her work in innovation, technology, and business transformation. She is the founder of FrancesWestCo, a global strategy advisory company focused on operationalizing inclusion as a business and technology imperative through her unique Authentic Inclusion™ blueprint. Her insightful and impactful approach comes from her experience as a global executive in sales, marketing, business development, and research, as well as her groundbreaking work in accessibility as IBM's first Chief Accessibility Officer. Frances brings a valuable business perspective to this human rights-based initiative. Because of her expertise, she was invited as the sole IT industry representative to testify before the US Senate on the need to pass the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in Boston in recognition of her work in accessibility, research, and digital inclusion. Frances was born in Taiwan and educated in Hong Kong and the US. She is married with two adult sons and currently resides in Newton, Massachusetts.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Leadership Team
- VP, Institutional & Advocacy
- VP, Institutional Relations and Advocacy, G3ict ( Secretary )
Job Titles:
- Membership and Outreach Coordinator, USA
Job Titles:
- Certifications Project Assistant, IAAP
Job Titles:
- Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft
Job Titles:
- Member of Committee
- President & CEO, Lakeshore Foundation
Job Titles:
- International Advisor
- Accessible Media and Technology Consultant
Job Titles:
- Membership Services Coordinator, IAAP
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Leadership Team
- / IAAP Board Member
- Non - Executive Director, TextHelp
Job Titles:
- Digital Strategic and Marketing Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Director of Research
- Member of the Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Special Initiatives Director, IAAP
25th Anniversary of the ADA Series: Business Case for Hiring Persons with Disabilities
Job Titles:
- Founder of WebABLE, Inc., Web Site Consultancy
Job Titles:
- International Advisor
- Director of ICT, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization ( ALECSO ), Tunisia
Job Titles:
- Capacity Building and Advocacy Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Founding Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Head of Accessibility, Scotia Digital, Scotiabank
Job Titles:
- Global Advisory Center Director
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow / Program Director Asia - Pacific
Job Titles:
- International Advisor
- Principal Owner and Accessibility Consultant, Aequum Global Access Inc
Job Titles:
- Membership and Outreach Director, IAAP
Job Titles:
- International Advisor
- Director, Strategic Alliances, Accessibility, T - Mobile
Job Titles:
- Executive
- International Advisor
- Researcher
- Senior Fellow
- Senior Fellow for the Portulans Institute
Shane Kanady is an experienced nonprofit executive, researcher, author, and policy advisor. He has published multiple reports and articles on the future of work through nonprofit organizations and outlets such as the Journal of Inclusive Postsecondary Education. Kanady has appeared on podcasts and webcasts such as On the Evidence by Mathematica Policy Research, AXS Chat, The Business of Learning by Training Industry, Inc., and Workology. A frequent public speaker, Kanady has presented at the United Nations Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the International Labour Organization's Global Business and Disability Network. As a policy advisor to House and Senate offices, he has provided input on multiple pieces of legislation including a role in the development and introduction of the CAPABILITY Act.
Kanady holds a Master of Arts with a concentration in Social Entrepreneurship from George Mason University where he was a 2019 College of Human and Social Sciences Distinguished Alumnus. He also holds a Nonprofit Executive Management certificate from Georgetown University and a Graduate Certificate in Human Rights Practice from the University of Arizona.
Along with serving as a Senior Fellow for G3ict, Kanady is also a Senior Fellow for the Portulans Institute, a Fellow with the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and he previously held fellowships with George Mason University and the Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Board of Trustees, G3ict and past Managing Director, IAAP
Sharon Spencer currently serves on the Board of Trustees, G3ict and is the past Managing Director of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). She has over thirty-five years of experience in various sales, marketing and executive management positions in organizations ranging from the Fortune 500 to start-up businesses.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CEO, BarrierBreak
Job Titles:
- International Advisor
- Counsellor, ITU - T SG 16 International ( ITU )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Director, Global Public Policy, at & T Services Inc
Job Titles:
- / IAAP Representative to the EU
Job Titles:
- Director, Global Public Policy, at & T
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CEO, Level Access / Ex - Officio
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance and Procurement
Job Titles:
- President, the Victor Pineda Foundation and World ENABLED