Today Mr. Colin Allen assumes the Chair of the International Disability Alliance (IDA), from Australia; elected by the Alliance’s 13 voting Members in March of this year. Colin Allen is a leading advocate for persons with disabilities globally, including as President of the World Federation of the Deaf since 2011. He is the second deaf person to serve as the Chair of IDA, of which the World Federation of the Deaf is a founding member. Mr. Allen succeeds Ms. Maryanne Diamond, AO, Immediate-Past President of the World Blind Union, and IDA Chair from July 2014 to June 2016.
Joining Mr Allen in the International Disability Alliance’s Executive Committee is First Vice Chair Ms. Ana Lucia Arellano, President of the Latin America Network of Non-Governmental Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and their Families (RIADIS), from Ecuador; Second Vice Chair Dr. Ruth Warick, President of the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People, from Canada; Third Vice Chair Ms. Vanessa Dos Santos, Acting President of Down Syndrome International, from South Africa; Treasurer Mr. Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum, from Greece; and General Secretary Mr. Klaus Lachwitz, President of Inclusion International, from Germany.
“I feel honoured to walk in the footsteps of my mentor, 2013 UN Human Rights Award Recipient, Dr Liisa Kauppinen, who was the first deaf IDA Chair between 1999 and 2000. During the past five years WFD has seen IDA grow from a loose network of DPOs into a significant, professionally led organisation with paid staff. I am thrilled that I have been given the opportunity to lead the work of IDA in collaboration with my colleagues from other global and regional DPOs as well as with the skilled staff members of the IDA Secretariat.” - Colin Allen.
