African Disability Forum(ADF) established at Regional Meeting

Abstract

A meeting of nearly 40 regional and national leaders of organizations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) in Africa, which took place17-19 November 2014, at the UN Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, established the African Disability Forum (ADF). The ADF aims to unify and amplify the voice of Africans with disabilities, their families and their organizations in advocating for their rights and inclusion in all aspects of development and society at Pan African, sub-regional and national levels. The launch meeting was made possible with support from the UN DESA and in collaboration with the AU and ECA as well as development partner organizations including the Abilis Foundation of Finland and the Norwegian Association of the Disabled. An Interim Working Group (IWG), created following a consultative meeting on the proposed ADF which took place in Nov. 2012, was assigned a task to undertake the necessary organizational registration and guide the work of the ADF during its initial stage till a formal Executive Council is elected at the first ADF General Assembly, to be held in 2015.