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.
From a shared vision
to a continental voice.
The African Disability Forum emerged from a growing need for a unified, representative voice for persons with disabilities and their organisations across Africa.
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.
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.
ANNA PHILANDROS
Creative Director
DEXTER MATTHEW
Designer
