The Alliance is governed by its members, and through the IDA Board, which is made up of representatives from each of its full members. All members are organisations majority-led by and composed of persons with disabilities and their families.

Nawaf Kabbara, (2024-2027)

The Alliance's day-to-day activities are carried out by the IDA Secretariat, based in Geneva and New York.

Poster with Nothing About Us, Without Us! With background in three shades of blue and the IDA logo in the corner

We are an alliance of networks. IDA brings together over 1,100 organisations of persons with disabilities and their families from across eight global and six regional networks.

Together we promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities across global efforts to advance human rights and sustainable development. We support organisations of persons with disabilities to hold their governments to account and advocate for change locally, nationally and internationally.

With member organisations around the world, IDA represents the estimated one billion people worldwide living with disabilities. Among them are some of the world’s largest – and most frequently overlooked – marginalised group. With its unique composition, including the foremost international disability rights organisations, IDA is considered by the United Nations System as the most authoritative representation of persons with disabilities on the global level.

The cornerstone of our work is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). IDA promotes its effective implementation through coordinated action by representative organisations of persons with disabilities, to ensure compliance of the CRPD at national, regional and international levels.

The 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals are also integral to IDA's work to promote sustainable development that is inclusive of persons with disabilities and in line with our fundamental rights. We work with allies and partners to build the capacity of persons with disabilities and their organizations around the world to advocate for our collective rights, and to take part in the design and implementation of the policies and practices needed for their realization.