Membership Criteria

Active types of Membership 

  • Full Members can be global or regional organizations of persons with disabilities. Their representatives in the IDA Board have the right to vote and be elected by Board members to participate in the governance of IDA.  
  • Observer Members are global or regional organizations without the right to vote or participate in the governance of IDA. 
  • Associate Members are national umbrella organizations of persons with disabilities representing the diversity of constituencies of persons with disabilities, whose mission and objectives are in line with the purposes and principles of IDA. These are members without voting rights and their representatives in the Board of IDA do not have the right nor responsibility to participate in the governance of IDA. 

Organizations' requirements

IDA members are global, regional or national umbrella organizations whose mission and objectives are the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, and who meet the following criteria:

Global Organizations

  • It shall be a legally established organization that has a global mandate and comprises member organizations from at least 50 individual countries, with members in at least three continents;
  • The majority of its member organizations shall be organizations composed and governed by persons with disabilities or, in the case of persons with intellectual disability, composed and governed by persons with intellectual disability and family members;
  • It shall have a majority of persons with disabilities in the governing bodies of the organization, or in the case of persons with intellectual disability, persons with intellectual disability and family members are in the majority of the governing bodies of the organization;
  • Its leadership is elected democratically by its members.

Regional Organizations

  • It shall be a legally established regional organization with national members in at least two-thirds of the countries of the region and open to the membership of all constituencies of persons with disabilities;
  • The majority of member organizations shall be organizations composed and governed by persons with disabilities or, in the case of persons with intellectual disability, composed and governed by persons with intellectual disability and family members;
  • It shall have a majority of persons with disabilities in the governing bodies of the organization, including its general assembly. Persons with intellectual disabilities can be represented by persons with intellectual disabilities and by family members;
  • Its leadership is elected democratically by its members.
  • No regional organization that is a member of a global member of IDA can itself become a member of IDA.

National Umbrella Organizations

  • It shall be a coalition of representative organizations of persons with disabilities.
  • It shall be open, democratic and represent the full and wide diversity of persons with disabilities. All organizations of persons with disabilities should be accepted as members.
  • It shall be organized, led and controlled by persons with disabilities.
  • It shall speak on behalf of their member organizations and solely on matters that are of mutual interest and collectively decided upon.
  • Its existence shall 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.

Global and Regional organizations can apply to become Full Members or Observer Members of IDA. National Umbrella Organizations can only apply to become Associate Members without voting rights. 

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

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