Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the African Disability Forum?

The African Disability Forum (ADF) was established in 2014, recognizing the need to amplify the voices of persons with disabilities through coordinated action across the African continent. ADF is a continental membership of organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) in Africa. Its secretariat is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ADF does not replace existing organizations; instead, it builds upon existing organizations and networks of continental, sub-regional and national federations of OPDs.  ADF’s membership currently includes eight continental OPDs, four sub-regional OPD federations, and 44 national OPD federations. The list of member organizations can be found here.

ADF builds on the rich history of civil society organizations in the African continent, being at the forefront of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and implementing development programs to respond to the needs of persons with disabilities that governments have not been able or willing to address. In most African countries, there are national OPDs and national federations of OPDs that have been influential in getting African countries to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which makes provisions for the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa (2018). 

ADF envisions an inclusive Africa where all persons with disabilities and their families have their rights and voices respected, actively participating in their communities and nations. 

Its mission is to secure the rights and inclusion of all persons with disabilities in Africa by building a stronger, more united, and effective African disability movement and voice for persons with disabilities and their families.  

The primary objectives of ADF are:

1. To unify and amplify the voice of persons with disabilities, their families, and organizations in Africa at national, regional, and international levels. 

2. To strengthen the capacity of organizations of persons with disabilities in Africa to promote the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities and their families.

More details on ADF can be found in here.

Who is the Conference Organizing Committee?

Advisory Committee:

1. Shuaib Chalklen, Executive Director, African Disability Forum

2. Jose Viera, Executive Director (Interim), International Disability Alliance

3. Dominic Haslam, Deputy CEO, Sightsavers

4. Alicia Cummins, Deputy Director Policy and Programme Strategy, Sightsavers

Technical Working Group:

1. Shitaye Astawes, African Disability Forum

2. Abebaw Abebe, African Disability Forum

3. Berhanu Kifle, African Disability Forum

4. Lorna Wanjau, African Disability Forum

5. Ousmane Ali, African Disability Forum

6. Bethelehem Zewde, African Disability Forum

7. Dorodi Sharma, International Disability Alliance

8. Alicia Cummins, Sightsavers

9. Dorothy Okeyo, Sightsavers

10. Dr. Samuel Kabue, Member, CRPD Committee