GAAD Foundation
GAAD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes digital accessibility through awareness programs, open-source tools (notably the AIMAC AI coding accessibility benchmark), annual awards, and salary research, serving technology companies, open-source projects, and accessibility professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What GAAD Foundation does
GAAD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Nevada, USA, founded in May 2021 by Jennison Asuncion and Joe Devon, the co-founders of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), which has been observed annually on the third Thursday of May since 2012. The foundation's stated mission is to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development so that accessibility is treated as a core requirement rather than an afterthought. Its core programs include: the annual GAAD awareness day; the Gaadys Awards, an annual gala hosted at GitHub headquarters in San Francisco that serves as the foundation's principal fundraising event; AIMAC (AI Model Accessibility Checker), an open-source GitHub-hosted framework that benchmarks AI coding tools on the accessibility of the HTML they generate, co-developed with ServiceNow and launched in May 2025; the GAAD Pledge initiative encouraging open-source projects to embed accessibility, now under GitHub's ongoing stewardship; the GAAD Speakers Fund, which provides grants of up to $3,000 USD per individual per year to cover speaking expenses; and GDASS (Global Digital Accessibility Salary Survey), an annual salary benchmark conducted in partnership with WebAIM.
The foundation operates with a board comprising technology accessibility leaders from LinkedIn, ArcTouch, CVS Health, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the PHP Foundation, supported by a small staff of 1-10. Revenue is generated through tax-deductible individual donations via PayPal, corporate sponsorships from a tiered network of twelve founding sponsors (Google, Microsoft, Meta, Salesforce, Intel, Walmart, Workday, Deque, Sony Pictures, Snyk, Uber, Twitter) and seven "Friends of the Foundation" (3Play Media, CVS Health, Fable, Intopia, T-Mobile, Verizon, Perspective Tester), and proceeds from the Gaadys gala. Distribution occurs through direct program delivery on the foundation's website, open-source channels (GitHub for AIMAC), strategic partnerships (WebAIM, ServiceNow, GitHub), and event channels (GAAD, Gaadys, Open Source Accessibility Summit at All Things Open).
GAAD Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GAAD Foundation
- Legal name
- GAAD Foundation
- Website
- https://gaad.foundation
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- GAAD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes digital accessibility through awareness programs, open-source tools (notably the AIMAC AI coding accessibility benchmark), annual awards, and salary research, serving technology companies, open-source projects, and accessibility professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GAAD Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Accessibility Advocacy
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Special Education & Accessibility-Optimized Media (UDL, AAC, Captioning) (EDAGALAH)
Keywords
GAAD Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations through PayPal. GAAD Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
- Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from technology companies. Founding sponsors include Deque, Google, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce, Snyk, Sony Pictures, Twitter, Uber, Walmart, and Workday. Friends of the Foundation include 3Play Media, CVS Health, Fable, Perspective Tester, Intopia, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
- Gaadys Awards Gala: Principal fundraising event honoring organizations advancing digital accessibility. The annual gala celebrates accessibility achievements, raises awareness of the foundation's mission, and strengthens relationships with supporters.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Speakers Fund Grant |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels12 records
GAAD Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GAAD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs digital accessibility awareness and accountability programs, including Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the AI Model Accessibility Checker (AIMAC), the Gaadys Awards, the GAAD Pledge for open source projects, the GAAD Speakers Fund grants, and the Global Digital Accessibility Salary Survey (GDASS). The foundation's mission is to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to embed accessibility as a core requirement.
Product overview
The GAAD Foundation operates a portfolio of programs centered on advancing digital accessibility as a core requirement in technology and product development. The core offerings include: Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), an annual awareness day held each May; the Gaadys Awards, the foundation's annual fundraising event celebrating products built with accessibility as a core requirement; AIMAC (AI Model Accessibility Checker), an open-source tool that benchmarks AI coding tools on accessible HTML output; the GAAD Pledge, a program encouraging open-source projects to embed accessibility; the GAAD Speakers Fund, providing grants to accessibility speakers; and GDASS, an annual salary survey conducted in partnership with WebAIM. The foundation was co-founded in 2021 by Jennison Asuncion and Joe Devon and is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD): An annual awareness day held on the third Thursday of May to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion.
- AIMAC
- Gaady Awards
- GAAD Speakers Fund
- GDASS
Products and services
- Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) Annual worldwide awareness day focused on digital accessibility and inclusion, targeting developers, designers, and organizations working on digital products. The flagship program of the foundation.
- AIMAC (AI Model Accessibility Checker) Open-source evaluation framework and benchmark for testing how well AI coding assistants generate accessible code against WCAG standards. Built for AI developers, vendors, and accessibility professionals.
- Gaadys Awards Annual recognition awards honoring individuals, teams, and organizations making significant contributions to digital accessibility, including a Lifetime Achievement award.
- GDASS (Global Digital Accessibility Salary Survey) Annual industry salary survey producing benchmark data on compensation for digital accessibility practitioners globally, intended to bring transparency to the field.
- GAAD Speakers Fund Reimbursement grant program that covers travel, lodging, and conference expenses for accessibility speakers presenting at in-person events, helping underrepresented accessibility advocates share expertise.
- GAAD Pledge Commitment program inviting open source projects, frameworks, and libraries to pledge accessibility as a core requirement in their development process.
Quantifiable outcome
- Users with disabilities completed tasks up to 41% faster using ServiceNow Voice Input
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use GAAD Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
GAAD Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
GAAD Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- ServiceNowflagshipServiceNow collaborated with GAAD Foundation on the development and launch of AIMAC (AI Model Accessibility Checker). The partnership focuses on ensuring AI-generated code meets accessibility standards. Eamon McErlean, VP and Global Head of Accessibility at ServiceNow, worked with Joe Devon on this initiative. ServiceNow also won a 2025 Gaady Award for Voice Input for Now Assist.
- AppleflagshipApple hosted GAAD co-founders Joe Devon and Jennison Asuncion for a fireside chat at their Cupertino campus marking the 15th Global Accessibility Awareness Day, with Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy & Initiatives.
- GitHubflagshipGitHub has taken the final GAAD Pledge, transitioning from an annual commitment to ongoing stewardship of the accessibility movement in open source. GitHub hosts the Gaadys Awards at their headquarters in San Francisco. Their strategy includes improving platform accessibility, building industry partnerships, and empowering contributors through initiatives like the Open Source Accessibility Summit at All Things Open.
- JoomlacoreJoomla took the GAAD Pledge in 2024 to make accessibility a core value. Committed to re-evaluating accessibility of Joomla properties, enhancing WCAG 2.1 conformity, creating magazine articles on accessibility, and reviewing software documentation for accessibility best practices.
- WebAIMcorePartnership with WebAIM to conduct the annual Global Digital Accessibility Salary Survey (GDASS). Starting in 2024, the survey collects salary and job-related data from individuals working in digital accessibility to inform organizations and professionals.
- Intel/OpenFLcoreIntel and the Open Federated Learning (OpenFL) project took the GAAD Pledge to make accessibility a core project value. Part of their pledge includes adopting Intel One Monospace font designed for maximum legibility.
- DrupalcoreDrupal took the GAAD Pledge committing to making accessibility a core value. Committed to upgrading standards to WCAG 2.1 AA, publishing coding standards for accessibility, updating documentation, and tracking accessibility issues transparently.
- EmberJScoreEmber JavaScript Framework took the GAAD Pledge to make accessibility a core value of their framework, celebrating GAAD's 10th anniversary in 2021.
- Meta (Facebook)coreFacebook (Meta) was the first GAAD Pledgee, taking the commitment in 2020 to make the React Native framework fully accessible.
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)coreRNIB provided input and research for the Zapvision Accessible QR Codes project developed by Zappar and Unilever, addressing needs of 300+ million people worldwide with moderate to severe visual impairments.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GAAD Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Deque Systems: Deque is a commercial provider of accessibility testing tools, training, and services. It is a founding sponsor of GAAD Foundation and a major incumbent in the digital accessibility tools and consulting market.
- Level Access: Level Access is a commercial accessibility platform offering software, services, and training. It is a mainstream market incumbent in the digital accessibility consultancy and tooling space.
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): W3C is the international standards body that develops WCAG and other web accessibility standards. It is a recurring GAAD partner and Gaadys winner and operates as a broader incumbent in the same digital accessibility ecosystem.
Direct peers
- International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP): IAAP is a membership-based professional association advancing the accessibility profession through credentialing, certification, and community. It overlaps with GAAD Foundation's mission to professionalize digital accessibility.
- Knowbility: Knowbility is a nonprofit focused on digital accessibility for people with disabilities, running programs such as the Accessibility Internet Rally and OpenAIR. It operates as a peer mission-driven organization in the digital accessibility nonprofit space.
- The A11Y Project: The A11Y Project is a community-driven nonprofit effort to make web accessibility easier by providing open-source resources, articles, and patterns. It pursues a similar awareness-building mission for digital accessibility practitioners.
- WebAIM: WebAIM is a nonprofit provider of web accessibility training, tools, and research. They are GAAD Foundation's direct partner on GDASS and share the same mission of advancing digital accessibility awareness and professional capacity.
Emerging players
- AccessiBe: AccessiBe is a commercial vendor offering AI-powered accessibility overlays and audit tools. It operates in the same digital accessibility tooling space as parts of GAAD Foundation's AIMAC work.
Regional players
- Inclusive Design Research Centre (OCAD University): The IDRC is an academic research center focused on inclusive design and digital accessibility. It pursues overlapping research and tooling themes with GAAD Foundation's mission while being anchored in Canadian academic research.
- American Foundation for the Blind (AFB): AFB is a longstanding U.S. nonprofit advocating for people with vision loss, including digital accessibility. It pursues overlapping mission areas with GAAD Foundation but emphasizes advocacy and employment rather than developer awareness.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
GAAD Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceGAAD Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GAAD Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
GAAD Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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GAAD Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about GAAD Foundation
What does GAAD Foundation do?
GAAD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs digital accessibility awareness and accountability programs, including Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the AI Model Accessibility Checker (AIMAC), the Gaadys Awards, the GAAD Pledge for open source projects, the GAAD Speakers Fund grants, and the Global Digital Accessibility Salary Survey (GDASS). The foundation's mission is to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to embed accessibility as a core requirement.
Is GAAD Foundation a public or private company?
GAAD Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was GAAD Foundation founded?
GAAD Foundation was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does GAAD Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are sponsorships and gaadys Awards Gala.
Who are GAAD Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Deque Systems, Level Access and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Direct peers are International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), Knowbility, The A11Y Project and WebAIM. AccessiBe is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Inclusive Design Research Centre (OCAD University) and American Foundation for the Blind (AFB).
Does GAAD Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for GAAD Foundation.
What industry is GAAD Foundation in?
GAAD Foundation's product category is Digital Accessibility Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking. Its NAICS code is 813211.