Of PWD.
& Girl Child
Partnership
Democratic Organisation
For Inclusion
How We Started
African Disability Forum (ADF) is the continental membership organization of Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) in Africa. Formally established in 2014, ADF seeks to strengthen and unify the representative voices of Africans with disabilities, their families and organizations. The African continent is immense with great regional diversity, making it impossible for one organization to directly and fully reflect and represent such diversity.Thus ADF includes and builds upon existing organizations, networks, capacities and successes. ADF does not replace any existing continental or sub-regional organization but invites all to be ADF members. We strive to be inclusive and to engage and reflect the views of all existing pan-African, sub-regional and national federations of DPOs.
ADF CONSULTATIVE MEETING 2012
A Consultative Meeting on the creation of ADF took place 28–29 November 2012 at the UN Conference Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The meeting was organized by the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability of the Commission for Social Development, with the support of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), African disability organizations, academic institutions and development partners.
The meeting participants welcomed and supported the initiative of the Special Rapporteur to establish an African Disability Forum, envisaged as an organization led by DPOs to advance the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Africa.
ADF PLANNING MEETING 2013
The need for a unified representative voice of DPOs and persons with disabilities in Africa had become more acute with the advent of the African Union “Disability Architecture” (AUDA), adopted by the AU Conference of Ministers of Social Development (CAMSD) in November 2012.
Thanks to a grant from the Abilis Foundation (Finland), a planning meeting of the ADF IWG took place 13–15 December 2013 in Addis Ababa.
The meeting reviewed options and reached a consensus on the organizational structure and functioning of ADF, its immediate priorities and made plans for its formal creation.
ADF LAUNCH MEETING 2014
A meeting to launch ADF took place 17–19 November 2014, at the UN Conference Centre in Addis Ababa.
The meeting brought together some 40 regional and national leaders of DPOs in Africa, to formally establish the African Disability Forum.
The DPO leaders decided upon the ADF membership and governance structure, approved a draft Constitution and planned steps for its establishment.
The ADF Launch Meeting was made possible by support from UNDESA in collaboration with the AUC and UNECA as well as the Abilis Foundation (Finland) and the Norwegian Association of the Disabled.
ADF GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2015
Delegates from 30 DPOs in Africa having applied for membership in ADF held the first ADF General Assembly meeting, 31 Oct.–1 Nov. 2015 at the Desmond Tutu Conference Center in Nairobi, Kenya.
Until this meeting, Africa was the only region of the world without a democratic, representative, regional disability forum of member DPOs.
The General Assembly formally adopted the ADF Constitution and Bylaws and elected the first ADF Executive Council. The General Assembly also decided on priority activities for ADF to engage in over the next 4 years.
The ADF General Assembly took place immediately following the UNDESA-sponsored Forum on “Disability Inclusive and Accessible Urban Development”, organized in cooperation with UN Habitat, which took place 28–30 Oct. 2015 at the UN Conference Center in Nairobi.
Thanks to support from UNDESA, several delegates to the ADF General Assembly participated in the DESA Forum.
Leadership, Oversight & Coordination
The African Disability Forum is governed through an institutional framework that provides strategic leadership, accountability, executive oversight and effective organisational coordination.
Governance & Oversight
Strategic leadership of the ForumGeneral Assembly
Provides the overall governance, strategic direction and accountability of the African Disability Forum.
Executive Committee
Provides strategic oversight and supports implementation of decisions of the General Assembly.
Secretariat & Other Organs
Executive and operational coordinationSecretariat
Coordinates implementation, programmes, administration and stakeholder engagement.
Programme & Policy
Programme coordination, policy implementation and technical support.
Membership & Partnerships
Member engagement, partnerships and stakeholder relations.
Administration & Operations
Finance, administration, communications and organisational operations.
Other Organs
Governance & Accountability
Supporting institutional accountability, coordination and effective governance.
African Disability Forum (ADF) is the continental membership organization of Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) in Africa. Formally established in 2014, ADF seeks to strengthen and unify the representative voices of Africans with disabilities, their families and organizations. The African continent is immense with great regional diversity, making it impossible for one organization to directly and fully reflect and represent such diversity.Thus ADF includes and builds upon existing organizations, networks, capacities and successes. ADF does not replace any existing continental or sub-regional organization but invites all to be ADF members. We strive to be inclusive and to engage and reflect the views of all existing pan-African, sub-regional and national federations of DPOs.
A Continental Network of Organisations
The African Disability Forum brings together organisations of persons with disabilities and disability networks across Africa, working collectively to advance disability rights, inclusion and participation.
All Members
46Who Makes Up ADF
African Disability Forum is the continental membership body comprising Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in Africa. ADF currently has members from 44 African countries (National Federations of Organization of Persons with Disabilities), 9 continental OPDs and 4 sub-regional OPDs. The first meeting of the 9-member Executive Council of the African Disability Forum (ADF), the membership organization of Disabled Persons' Organizations (DPOs) in Africa, took place 14–15 March 2016 in Addis Ababa. During the meeting, the Council approved for ADF membership 8 Continental DPOs, 4 Sub-Regional DPO Federations, and 34 National DPO Federations.