Organization
Disabled Peoples' International(DPI)
DPI is an international cross-disability organisation founded in 1981 in Winnipeg, Canada, representing organisations of people with disabilities from around the world. It was the first international organisation fully controlled by people with disabilities — a historic break from organisations that served people with disabilities but were led by non-disabled professionals.
About Disabled Peoples' International
DPI was founded in 1981 at the First World Congress held in Winnipeg, Canada — a meeting that took place in part because delegates with disabilities at the Rehabilitation International conference that year pushed unsuccessfully for disabled-led representation and, rebuffed, went on to form their own organisation. The founding of DPI is considered a pivotal moment in the history of the global disability rights movement.
DPI's founding principle — "Nothing About Us Without Us" — predates its popularisation and articulates the core philosophy that organisations of people with disabilities (as distinct from organisations for people with disabilities) must lead the international disability rights agenda.
What they do
DPI works to promote the human rights of people with disabilities globally, particularly in lower-income countries where disability rights infrastructure is least developed. DPI participates in UN processes, advocates for implementation of the CRPD, and supports the development of disabled people's organisations in member countries.
DPI contributed significantly to the development of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), drawing on its decades of international advocacy experience to advocate for strong rights language and the "social model" of disability throughout the negotiation process.
Key programs and resources
- Regional networks: DPI operates through regional secretariats in Africa, the Arab region, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America
- CRPD advocacy and monitoring
- Capacity building for disabled people's organisations in developing countries
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities coordination and activities
Who they serve
People with disabilities worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where disability rights are least protected.
Why it matters
DPI represents the global scope of disability rights and the importance of international solidarity. For advocates and policy-makers, DPI's decades of cross-cultural, cross-disability, disabled-led advocacy provides a framework and a network for advancing rights globally. DPI's founding moment is a touchstone for the principle that disabled people must lead the organisations that speak for them.
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