International Association of Accessibility Professionals

What International Association of Accessibility Professionals does

The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 2013 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metro area (with operational presence in Atlanta, GA). IAAP serves accessibility practitioners across 110 countries and operates as a division of G3ict (Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs), an initiative of the UN G3ict, embedding the association within the global accessibility policy ecosystem. The association's membership stood at 10,984 individuals as of recent disclosure, with 11,762 professional certifications issued cumulatively across its credential portfolio, which includes the CPACC (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies), WAS (Web Accessibility Specialist), CPWA (Certified Professional in Web Accessibility), and ADS (Accessible Document Specialist) credentials; the CPABE credential was discontinued in 2024.

IAAP generates revenue across five primary streams: individual memberships (with a $275 standard annual dues and reduced-rate tiers for students and emerging economy residents), organizational memberships (a tiered Bronze through Platinum structure priced from $500 to $24,300 annually, including a discounted Emerging Economies & Developing Countries tier), certification examination fees (delivered through Pearson VUE test centers in more than 180 countries), professional education courses, and career center job postings. Operational infrastructure includes Credly-powered digital credentialing and a podcast channel launched in 2025. The association is governed by a board chaired by Kathy Wahlbin and led operationally by Managing Director Christopher M. Lee, with dedicated EU representation through Susanna Laurin.

IAAP pursues institutional partnerships to extend its reach, including a co-hosting arrangement with the European Disability Forum for webinars and the annual European Day of Persons with Disabilities Conference, as well as membership relationships with accessibility technology vendors such as Recite Me (added September 2025). Its competitive position rests on the global recognition of its certification portfolio, the network density of its 110-country membership, and its institutional placement under G3ict, rather than on proprietary technology or AI capability.

Name

International Association of Accessibility Professionals

Legal name

International Association of Accessibility Professionals

Website

https://accessibilityassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) is a non-profit membership association that certifies and serves accessibility practitioners across 110 countries, offering credentialing programs, professional education, and career resources as a division of G3ict.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual subscription fees from individual professional members, student members, and members from emerging/developing economies (E&DE). Fees range from free for students to $253 annually for standard professional members.
2. Organizational Membership Dues: Tiered corporate memberships (Associate through Platinum) and Nonprofit/Government/Education (NGE) memberships ranging from $1,730 to $24,300 annually, with dedicated account management for higher tiers.
3. Professional Certification Exams: Revenue from certification exam fees for CPACC, WAS, CPWA, and ADS credentials. Members receive $100 discount per candidate on exam fees. Certification holders must renew every three years by earning education credits.
4. Professional Education and Training: Revenue from courses, training programs, and webinars. Members receive complimentary access to monthly webinars and courses. Non-members and topic-specific series may have associated fees.
5. Career Center Postings: Non-members pay $425 USD to post positions for three months. IAAP members receive free access to the Career Center for posting positions and resumes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

IAAP is a nonprofit professional membership association that sells annual memberships to individuals and organizations, charges fees for four professional accessibility certifications (CPACC, WAS, CPWA, and ADS), delivers continuing education through webinars, mini courses, and exam preparation training, and operates a Career Center job board and members-only networking platform. Its offering targets accessibility professionals and organizations seeking to build in-house accessibility expertise, validate competencies, and comply with global accessibility standards.

Product overview

IAAP offers a professional association platform with membership services, professional certifications, and education offerings. The core products include five professional certifications (CPACC as foundational, WAS and ADS as technical certifications, CPWA as the highest combined credential, and CPABE discontinued in 2024), supported by education resources (exam preparation courses, webinars, podcasts, mini courses), community platforms (Member Connections forum, Career Center, Resources database), and events programming. These products work together to serve accessibility professionals through training, certification, and networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 11,000 professional accessibility certifications issued globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Recite MeminorOthers · 5 September 2025Recite Me became an IAAP member organization. The membership aims to upskill employees across all functions including web designers, developers, marketers, and account managers to strengthen in-house accessibility expertise and deliver more inclusive digital experiences for clients.
• G3ict (Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP is a division of G3ict, the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs. G3ict promotes accessibility for persons with disabilities globally. IAAP serves as the professional membership and certification arm of G3ict, combining G3ict's advocacy work with IAAP's professional development programs. The relationship provides IAAP with global reach and institutional credibility.
• European Disability Forum (EDF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP EU and European Disability Forum co-host the annual Web Accessibility Directive anniversary events, including workshops and online accessibility conferences. The partnership combines IAAP's professional expertise with EDF's advocacy representation for persons with disabilities in Europe. Events feature speakers from European Commission, government agencies, and accessibility experts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deque Systems: Deque is a commercial accessibility training and certification provider (e.g., CPACC-aligned and WAS-adjacent training) competing with IAAP for individual practitioners and corporate accessibility budgets, while also offering consulting and tooling.
• RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America): RESNA is a professional association for assistive technology and rehabilitation engineering professionals, offering credentials and conferences. It is the closest North American counterpart to IAAP in scope and membership-driven model.
• WebAIM: WebAIM provides web accessibility training, certifications, and assessment tools widely used by accessibility professionals. It overlaps with IAAP's WAS certification audience and competes for training budgets.
• Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA): ATIA is a membership association for assistive technology professionals and providers, with a similar conference- and certification-driven model. Like IAAP, it serves individual practitioners and organizational members across the accessibility/AT ecosystem.
• AbilityNet: AbilityNet is a UK-based non-profit supporting disabled people and accessibility professionals through training, resources, and events such as TechShare Pro. It mirrors IAAP's combination of training, advocacy, and events in a focused geography.
• AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability): AHEAD is a professional association serving disability resource professionals in higher education, offering training, credentialing, and conferences. Comparable to IAAP in providing profession-specific credentials and continuing education to a defined practitioner community.

Broad incumbents

• Level Access: Level Access is a larger commercial accessibility services firm offering enterprise training, audits, and a learning management system. It competes with IAAP for corporate accessibility training budgets as part of a broader services portfolio.
• Disability:IN: Disability:IN is a large disability inclusion organization serving corporations with training, benchmarking, and conferences. It is broader than IAAP but overlaps in advancing accessibility/inclusion professionals within enterprises.

Emerging players

• Knowbility: Knowbility is a smaller U.S. non-profit focused on digital accessibility education and community programs (including the AirWaive competition). It overlaps with IAAP's education and community mission at a smaller scale.

Regional players

• European Disability Forum (EDF): EDF is a pan-European advocacy organization representing persons with disabilities and a strategic IAAP partner (co-hosting WAD events). It overlaps with IAAP at the policy and events layer but is region-focused and advocacy-led rather than certification-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iaaporg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuL8fMa2LEZm9Agrmkdvsbg
• Facebookfacebook.com/accessibilityassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5155421
• TikToktiktok.com/@iaaporg

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Association of Accessibility Professionals