African Disability Forum (ADF)

The 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. ADF strives to be inclusive and to engage and reflect the views of all existing pan-African, sub-regional and national federations of DPOs.

ADF is an independent, democratic organization, where representative DPOs are the members and decision-makers. ADF pays special attention to the involvement of women and youth with disabilities in all its structures and activities. The ADF governance structure is light with a 9-member Executive Council and a small ADF Office located in Addis Ababa, which focuses on communications and member organizational development and capacity-building activities. ADF works in partnership with all organizations that share the ADF objectives and promote the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Africa.

ADF is a full member of the International Disability Alliance (IDA).