Governance

Idriss Maïga Alzouma has been the President of the African Disability Forum since March 2017, after serving as Vice President from November 2015. He holds an advanced degree from the National School of Administration and Magistrature and serves as the Chief Inspector of Taxes in Tillabéri, Niger. His advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities intensified after 2006, motivating the recruitment of graduates with disabilities in Niger. He also revitalised the West African Federation of Disabled (WAFOD), becoming its President in December 2011, and is currently in his second term.

Tungi Kenneth Mwanjala is a Tanzanian disability rights advocate and a part of the African Disability Forum. She is the Vice Chair of Shivyawata and is recognised for her dedication to elevating the voices of persons with disabilities in East Africa. She is the author and editor of the UN Women’s Intersectionality Resource Guide and Toolkit (2021).

‍

Moaffak Alkhafaji is the founder of the Iraqi Alliance of Disability Organizations (IADO). He is the Deputy of the Arab Organization of Persons with Disabilities (AOPD). He works to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in Iraq, the Arab region, and internationally.

‍

Rehab Mohamed Boresli (or Bouresli) is the Vice President of the Arab Organization for Persons with Disabilities (AOPD). A prominent figure in Kuwait's disability rights movement, she is the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Association for Parents of Persons with Disabilities. Additionally, she is the Chairwoman of Altomooh Sport Club for Intellectual Disabilities and the National Director of Special Olympics Kuwait. In June 2022, she was elected to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) for the 2023–2026 term.

Saowalak Thongkuay is a senior disability and gender-equality specialist with over 25 years of experience in human rights policy and disability-inclusive governance. She is a founding member and Chairperson of the ASEAN Disability Forum (2026-2029), a former member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2021-2024), and a regional advocate for Disabled Peoples’ International Asia and the Pacific (2007-2015). At the national level, she serves on the Committee on the Promotion of Gender Equality and previously served on the Gender Discrimination Ruling Commission. She has advised UN agencies, the multilateral development banks, development partners, and organisations of persons with disabilities on CRPD-aligned policies and programming.  

‍

Maulani Agustiah Rotinsulu is the National Coordinator of the Indonesian Coalition of Organisations of People with Disabilities, advocating the ratification of CRPD -2011, and drafting members of the Indonesia Law on The Rights of Persons with Disabilities - 2016 . Founding member and Executive Board of ASEAN Disability Forum and Founder and Advisory Board of Indonesian Association of Women with Disabilities and actively advocate women with disabilities Rights as its chairperson 2012 - 2022 . She has served since 2017, providing disability perspective and interaction training (DPIT) for government officers in Indonesia, the private sector, and other entities. Maulani is also one of the UNESCAP Asia Pacific Decade of persons with Disabilities "Make the Rights Real" Champion 2012-2022 promoted by the government of Indonesia

‍

Prof Rhonda Faragher PhD is the Director of the Down Syndrome Research Program and Professor of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Queensland, Australia. She is a past Independent Director of Down Syndrome Australia, Vice President of DSi and current Chair of the Down Syndrome Research Group of IASSIDD, the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. She has an adult daughter with Down syndrome.

In 2023, Rhonda was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her distinguished service to people with Down syndrome through research programs and education initiatives.

I see that Angus has provided the DSi numbers.

Angus Graham is the Treasurer and Trustee Director of Down Syndrome International. He sits on the Independent Advisory Committee on Intellectual Disability of Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme, and as a Council Member if the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health. Angus is the past Chairman of Down Syndrome Australia and the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations. Angus is a father of four daughters, one being Henrietta, a young woman with Down syndrome. He has been a long-time advocate for people with intellectual disabilities.  

Thorkild was diagnosed with glaucoma at birth. Initially, he experienced visual impairment, but by the age of 21, he became completely blind. Thorkild holds a master's degree in history and a minor in religion from the University of Aarhus. Thorkild has had a lengthy and impactful career in the disability movement. In 1993, he assumed the role of chairman for the youth organisation within the Danish Association of the Blind. Subsequently, he ascended to the position of head of department, served as vice-chair, and in 2009, he was elected president of the organisation. During this time, he was elected Vice-Chair of Disabled Peoples Organisations Denmark, and in 2014, he ascended to the position of chair.

Gunta Anca serves as the Vice President of the European Disability Forum.She is the Chair of the Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability Organisations (Sustento).  She has been elected to serve as a Board Member of the European Women’s Lobby twice. Since 2004, she has served as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Over the course of 16 years, she advocated for the rights of individuals with disabilities, focusing on social protection, employment opportunities, and accessible transportation policies.

Malawian Mark Mapemba is a self-advocate with an intellectual disability.
Mark has traversed the world, sharing his and others' experiences and advocating for the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families. Mark has spoken at the UN multiple times about disability and family rights.

He is Inclusion International's Self-Advocacy Coordinator. Additionally, Mark has served as a youth representative and board member for PODCAM (Parents of Disabled Children Association of Malawi), Special Olympics Malawi, Inclusion International, and UNICEF's youth council in Malawi.

Sue Swenson is the President of Inclusion International, the global network of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families. Sue has served as a disability appointee to the United States Presidents Biden, Obama, and Clinton. Sue learned about rights from her middle son, Charlie, who lived for 30 years with profound disabilities, was included in neighbourhood schools, and lived in the community. Sue received her education from the University of Chicago and holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota.

Victoria Sandoval is the President of the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. A lawyer from Guatemala and a woman living with Spina Bifida and Myelomeningocele, she has a strong focus on human rights and disability inclusion. In 1995, she co-founded the Asociación Guatemalteca de Espina Bífida, significantly advancing access to multidisciplinary healthcare and family support. Through her leadership and advocacy, Victoria continues to inspire and shape the international spina bifida and hydrocephalus community.

‍

Dr Sylvia Roozen is the Secretary General of the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, based in Brussels. With over 20 years of experience in advocacy, research, and international collaboration on preventable birth defects, she focuses on evidence-based policies, public-private-civic partnerships, and human rights–based approaches to health, disability, and nutrition. Dr Roozen actively contributes to global platforms, including the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and the United Nations.

‍

Damian Griffis is a descendant of the Worimi people who identifies as a person with psychosocial disability. Damian is a leading advocate for the human rights of Indigenous Australians with disabilities and has been a central figure in establishing the national organisation, the First Peoples Disability Network (Australia) (FPDN). Damian represents FPDN at regional, national, and international forums and is the current co-chair of the Pacific Disability Forum and the Global Network of Indigenous People with Disabilities.

‍

Cristina Francisco serves as the Vice President of RIADIS. She is the President and Founder of the Circle of Women with Disabilities. Cristina serves on the Committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Dominican Republic. She holds a position on the Committee of Experts for the Development and Implementation of the Latin American Disability Observatory, an initiative launched by RIADIS.

‍

Víctor Hugo León Tenorio holds the position of Treasurer at the Latin American Network of Persons with Disabilities and their Families (RIADIS). He has held significant roles, including Vice President and Treasurer of the Ecuadorian National Federation of People with Physical Disabilities  and Vice President of the Latin American Network of Persons with Disabilities and their Families. He currently serves as a representative for the Association of Persons with Disabilities of Guayas based in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

‍

Santosh Kumar Rungta, President of the World Blind Union, has contributed to the disability movement in India and abroad for 50 years. He has been the General Secretary of India's largest mass-based blind self-help organisation, the National Federation of the Blind, since 1978. His activism has successfully secured employment for over 100,000 persons with disabilities across various sectors in India, including administration, banking, railways, and education. Since 1993, he has been an active participant in UN ESCAP initiatives focused on persons with disabilities  

‍

Yaw Ofori Debra is the second Vice President of the World Blind Union and a leading disability rights advocate with more than 30 years of experience. He has provided national and regional leadership across the disability movement in Ghana and Africa, playing a key role in securing disability legislation, advancing social protection for workers with disabilities, and strengthening representation within trade unions. His leadership has been recognised with major national and international awards for peace, social justice, and public service.

‍

Hjordis Haraldsdottir serves as a board member of the World Federation of the Deaf, contributing to global advocacy for the rights of deaf people and the promotion of sign languages. Her advocacy extends to leadership positions, including board roles in the Icelandic Federation of the Deaf and the Icelandic Disability Alliance.

‍

Frank Folino is a Board Member of the World Federation of the Deaf and the Past President of the Canadian Association of the Deaf, where he served from 2013 to 2021. Frank Folino has been an enduring leader and advocate for human rights. Among his notable achievements, he played a key role in advocating for the inclusion of legal recognition of national sign languages in the landmark Accessible Canada Act.

‍

Ezekiel Kumwenda holds the position of Executive Director at the Malawi Union of the Blind (MUB) and is recognised as a prominent member of the Executive Council of the World Federation of the Deafblind (WFDB). He formerly served as the President of the African Federation of the DeafBlind (AFDB).

‍

She is a deafblind lawyer, advocate, and leader with long-standing experience in representing and advancing the rights of persons with deafblindness at national and European levels. She is the Secretary General of the World Federation of the Deafblind (WFDB). As President of the National Association of the Deafblind in Bulgaria and Head of the Helen Keller National Center for the Rehabilitation of the Deafblind, she is deeply committed to social inclusion, accessibility, and gender equality, with a particular focus on deafblind women and families.

Dr Iga Daniel Mwesigwa Iga serves as a Board Member at the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. He began working in disability activism in 2001 when he was elected as the National General Secretary for Mental Health Uganda (MHU). He co-founded the Pan-African Network of Users/Survivors of Psychiatry. He is a co-founder and member of the Board of My Story Initiative, a national peer support and advocacy initiative for persons with psychosocial disabilities.

‍

Oh-Yong Kweon serves as a Board Member at the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry since 2013 and as a Working Group member of the UN ESCAP on Disability since 2015. As founder and representative of the Korean Alliance for Mobilising Inclusion, he led a landmark case that resulted in the Constitutional Court of Korea ruling against involuntary hospitalisation in 2016. He was introduced as one of the 14 persons with disabilities of Korea in the accessibility photo exhibition by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and the Swedish Embassy in Korea.

Marcel Bobeldijk, is the (interim) President of the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH). Marcel was born with hearing loss and started to wear hearing aids when he was 6 years old.Together with his partner Gert and their three dogs (Vizslas), he lives in a new city called Dronten in the Dutch province of Flevoland. Besides his work, Marcel likes to do some sports, such as swimming & fitness, and of course walking with their dogs, reading books, visiting museums and enjoying their holidays in a caravan. Marcel speaks Dutch, English and German.After his studies in Labour Relations, Marcel worked as a Personnel & Organisation advisor for the Dutch Tax organisation in Amsterdam and Zwolle. Before this position, Marcel had worked for many years as manager of the Customs at Schiphol (Amsterdam Airport).As a volunteer, Marcel is currently very active for Hoormij-NVVS, the Dutch organisation for Hard of Hearing People; Marcel is the chair of the committee of Hard of Hearing People.He was for many years the president of the European Federation of Hard of Hearing (EFHOH), and also a board member of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH).

Nalubwama Mastulah is the Vice President of the International Federation of Hard of Hearing (IFHOH) and a founding member and Executive Director of Uganda Federation of the Hard of Hearing (UFHOH). She has over 9 years of experience advocating for the rights and inclusion of hard of hearing persons using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as a framework for advocacy and self-representation. Ms. Mastulah is also an educator who promotes community health and nutrition initiatives in rural Uganda, advancing gender equity and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the development process