Biographies

Axel Leblois, G3ict, Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs
“Benchmarking ICT Accessibility/closing the gap”

Axel Leblois is the Founder and Executive Director of G3ict – the Global Initiative for Inclusive Technologies, an Advocacy Initiative of the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development.

G3ict was launched in December 2006 as a flagship advocacy initiative of the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development. G3ict is dedicated to supporting the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in matters of accessible and assistive ICTs. G3ict works in close cooperation with organizations representing persons with disabilities, the ICT industry, the public sector, academia and United Nations affiliated organizations among which the International Telecommunications Union, UNESCO, UN GAID, UNITAR, UN DESA and the World Bank.

Prior to creating G3ict, Axel Leblois spent over 20 years at the helm of information technology companies in the United States including as CEO of Computerworld Communications, CEO of IDC – International Data Corporation, President & CEO of Bull HN Worldwide Information Systems – Formerly Honeywell Information Systems, CEO of ExecuTrain and co-founder and President of W2i, the Wireless Internet Institute. In this latter capacity, Axel Leblois developed a number of capacity building programs with the United Nations ICT Task Force and UNITAR on connectivity and digital inclusion in the context of the World Summit on the Information Society.

Axel Leblois served as a Fellow of UNITAR, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and is a founding trustee of its North American affiliate CIFAL Atlanta. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris.

Jorge Plano, Argentina
“Web Accessibility and Older Persons”

ISOC Argentina / Universidad Tecnologica Nacional

Jorge Plano was born in Argentina and lives there. He is graduated in Information Systems and consultant in ICT. He created and directs the "Centro de Tecnologias para la Accesibilidad y la Vida Independiente - CETAVI" (Center of Technologies for Accessibility and Independent Life) at the Universidad Tecnologica Nacional in Argentina where he teaches accessibility and assistive technology with credits for the information engineering degree since 2005.

He serves in the Board of the Argentina Chapter of Internet Society (ISOC-AR) and he is adviser at CABASE (ISP Argentine Association).

Jorge is involved in ICT policies since the 80s, in the early 90s he was Director of IT policies at the Secretariat for Science and Technology of Argentina. Participated in the elaboration of projects of Laws for the accessibility of government Web sites, the last one is now in the Committees of the Senate. He was involved in Internet governance policies in ICANN since start up and participated in the creation of LACNIC (Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry).

He is organizing events on Web Accessibility in Argentina since more than ten years and has been making presentations on ICT policies and on accessibility in many forums (domestic and international).

Martin Gould, G3ict, Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs
“Benchmarking ICT Accessibility/closing the gap”

G3ict Research Committee member, and serves as an advisor on disability policy matters. Martin has worked in the federal government sector, academia, and in non-profit organizations.

Claudia Gray, Universidad de las Américas-Puebla, Mexico
“Internet accessibility and development" (World Telecommunication Development Conference 2010 Hyderabad, India)

Claudia Gray is a Mexican advocate for public policy and vulnerable groups rights. Claudia is currently performing legal research –among others-, on ICT and access by persons with disabilities. During such research Claudia has reviewed and analyzed ITU documents including last resolutions of the World Telecommunication Development Conference. Claudia is a member of the Legal Research Center of the Universidad de las Américas-Puebla.