What are IDA Associate Members? 

"Associate Members" are national umbrella organizations of persons with disabilities representing the diversity of constituencies of persons with disabilities. They are coalitions of representative organizations of persons with disabilities at national level whose mission and objectives are in line with the purposes and principles of the Association.

What is a National Umbrella Organization? 

  • A coalition of representative organizations of persons with disabilities.
  • Open, democratic and represent the full and wide diversity of persons with disabilities. All organizations of persons with disabilities should be accepted as members.
  • Organized, led and controlled by persons with disabilities.
  • Speaks on behalf of their member organizations and solely on matters that are of mutual interest and collectively decided upon.
  • Its existence does not, under any circumstances, hinder individuals or organizations of persons with disabilities from participating in consultations or other forms of promoting interests of persons with disabilities.

What are the conditions for applying as an Associate Member? 

  • National umbrella organizations can apply for membership in the Association as Associate Members without voting rights and their representatives in the Associations' Board do not have the right nor the responsibility to serve in any committee of the Association. They may be admitted as an Associate Member upon approval by simple majority of the Board Members present. 
  • The umbrella organizations shall only include organizations which are composed and governed by persons with disabilities or, in the case of persons with intellectual disabilities, composed and governed by persons with intellectual disabilities and their family members.
  • Associate Members will actively contribute to fulfil the purposes and principles of the Association. They will be connected to the communication channels of the Association and they will be invited to attend events of the Association upon decisions of the Board.
  • National umbrella organizations wanting to become Associate Members need the approval of the regional member of the Association from the region of the world in which the national organization is applying for Associate membership. In the event that the Association does not have a regional member which covers the national organization applying for Associate membership, this provision does not apply, and it is left to the recommendation of the Membership Committee, and to the decision of the Board by simple majority of Board members present to accept the national organization as an Associate Member.
  • National members of global organizations which are Full Members or Observer Members of the Association cannot be admitted as national Associate Members of the Association.

Find out all the necessary information in the Membership Guidelines and Application Form below:

  • Membership Guidelines (March 2022) in PDF or Word
  • Application Form (May 2023) in PDF or Word
  • Annex Application Form (March 2022) in Excel

You can click here to find out about the application process for all the different types of Membership.