Organizational Members
Access Living is a change agent committed to fostering an inclusive society that enables Chicagoans with disabilities to live fully-engaged and self-directed lives.
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the 50+ million Americans with disabilities.
American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) is a national, nonprofit trade association representing more than 800 private community providers of services to people with disabilities.
American Samoa University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (AS-UCEDD) is located at the American Samoa Community College. It is a Pacific Basin University Center for Excellence (PBUCE) project focused on building, enhancing and empowering local capacity to improve the quality of life with individuals with developmental disabilities in all facets of life in American Samoa. The AS-UCEDD pursues to maintain and enhance cultural integrity through research, education, and services.
The Association of Oregon Centers for Independent Living (AOCIL) leads the consumer-driven Independent Living Movement in Oregon by supporting Centers for Independent Living in order to advance the rights of all people with disabilities. AOCIL accomplishes this by investing in: Disability Research and Analysis; Resource Development; Systems Advocacy; Education and Training; and Collaborative Service Partnerships.
The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living is a national membership organization dedicated to advancing the rights and responsibilities of people with disabilities in rural America. APRIL provides leadership and resources on rural independent living through a national network of rural centers for independent living, statewide independent living councils and individuals concerned with the unique aspect of rural independent living. The goal of APRIL is to work together to find solutions to common problems and to bring rural issues in independent living into focus on the national level.
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities is a network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.
Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled, Inc. (CORD) has been aggressively working since 1984 to advance the independence, productivity, and integration of people with disabilities, including deaf and hard of hearing people, into mainstream society.
CBM is a Christian international development organisation, committed to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in the poorest communities of the world irrespective of race, gender or religious belief.
The Christoper and Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.

The Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute (MI-DDI) is located on the campus of Wayne State University in the heart of Detroit’s cultural center. MI-DDI is the state of Michigan’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and is part of a national network dedicated to the development of inclusive communities, the enhancement of the quality of life of people with disabilities, and the enrichment of the field of disability research and service.
DisabilityIN unites business around disability inclusion in the workplace, supply chain and marketplace. DisabilityIN has more than 130 corporate partners spanning the technology, healthcare, financial, transportation, entertainment, and retail industries. They serve as a collective voice of nearly 50 Business Leadership Network Affiliates across the United States, representing over 5,000 businesses. They also have various nationally recognized tools and programs, such as the Disability Equality Index and the leading disability-owned business enterprise (DOBE) certification program, to bridge inclusive companies with people and organizations within the disability community.
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc (DREDF), founded in 1979, is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. The mission of (DREDF) is to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development.
Disability Rights International (DRI) is an international advocacy organization dedicated to rights enforcement and full participation in society by children and adults with disabilities worldwide. DRI trains and supports disability and human rights activists, documents human rights violations, and works through international oversight mechanisms and the media to hold governments accountable for the discrimination and abuse of people with disabilities.
Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living (EOCIL) is a global disability resource and advocacy center that operates the Institute for Disability Studies and Policy (IDSP). The IDSP conducts research and policy analysis as it pertains to independent living, equitable access to services and resources, and universal human rights.
The K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI) in the ILR School at Cornell University conducts research and provides continuing education and technical assistance to advance knowledge, policies, and practice to enhance equal opportunities for all people with disabilities in the workplace and society.
Gallaudet University is the premier institution of learning, teaching and research for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. For more than 150 years, Gallaudet has produced leaders and innovators who have influenced history.
Global Disability Inclusion - Making You Disability Competitive
g3ict is the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies. Its mission is to facilitate and support the implementation of the dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the accessibility of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and assistive technologies. G3ict relies on an international network of ICT accessibility experts to develop and promote good practices, technical resources and benchmarks for ICT accessibility advocates around the world.
Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.
As a global leader in democracy promotion, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) engages with critical issues in democracy, governance and elections around the world. From programming aimed at ensuring electoral integrity and accountability to efforts to empower underrepresented populations, such as persons with disabilities, women and youth, to participate in electoral and political processes, IFES is at the forefront of innovative work to provide citizens around the world with the fundamental human right to have a say in how they are governed. Our research and surveys build on this work and aim to improve the electoral cycle in order to build sustainable democracy.
IFES works to strengthen political inclusion of people with disabilities by:
- Providing technical assistance to electoral management bodies on how to implement international standards such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
- Empowering persons with disabilities and civil society organizations to advocate for equal rights; and
- Assisting citizen-led efforts to define best practices through the development of global tools such as the Equal Access manual and the online resource www.ElectionAccess.org.
Houston Center for Independent Living
Independence First is a non-profit 501c3 Independent Living Center (ILC) directed and controlled by persons with disabilities, primarily serving the four county metropolitan Milwaukee area. Our mission is to effectively facilitate empowerment of individuals with disabilities through: education, advocacy, independent living services, coalition building.
Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann
The Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) at American University (AU) prepares transformative disability policy leaders and serves as a collaborative "think tank" on disability policy through an interdisciplinary AU community and an unparalleled network of multistakeholder partners, with founding support from The Nippon Foundation.
IDPP’s core focus areas include: global, regional and national disability policy; inclusive sustainable development; accessible global governance; inclusive cities and urban development; inclusive disaster risk reduction; information and communication technologies for development; accessible cyberlearning; and accessibility, assistive technologies and universal design.
The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation
Founded in 1981, Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is a disability-led non-profit organization headquartered in Eugene, OR, advancing Disability rights and leadership globally.® By implementing innovative programs, they are building bridges to create a new era where people with disabilities will take their rightful place in the world community. MIUSA is a cross-disability organization serving people with a broad range of disabilities.
Mosaic International - Embracing God's call to serve in the world, Mosaic advocates for people with intellectual disabilities and provides opportunities for them to enjoy a full life.
National Association of the Deaf
National Council on Independent Living As a membership organization, NCIL advances independent living and the rights of people with disabilities through consumer-driven advocacy. NCIL envisions a world in which people with disabilities are valued equally and participate fully.
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. P&As and CAPs work to improve the lives of people with disabilities by guarding against abuse; advocating for basic rights; and ensuring accountability in health care, education, employment, housing, transportation, and within the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Collectively, the Network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a private, non-profit organization that promotes the full participation of America’s 54 million people with disabilities in all aspects of life. NOD’s aim is to increase the employment prospects of the 79 percent of working-age Americans with disabilities who are not employed by acting as a resource to the field and to employers.
Post-Polio Health International's mission is to enhance the lives and independence of polio survivors and home ventilator users through education, advocacy, research and networking.
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)
is the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions. RESNA advances the field by offering certification, continuing education, and professional development; developing assistive technology standards; promoting research and public policy; and sponsoring forums for the exchange of information and ideas to meet the needs of our multidisciplinary constituency.
Resource, Information, Support and Empowerment (RISE) is a non-residential Center for Independent Living serving individuals with disabilities in Southeast Texas.
TASH is an international leader in disability advocacy. Founded in 1975, TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect and institutionalization. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates. The inclusive practices TASH validates through research have been shown to improve outcomes for all people.
Trickle Up helps people in extreme poverty and vulnerability advance their economic and social well-being. We drive large-scale change by partnering with governments, global institutions, and local organizations.
U.S. Fund for UNICEF fights for the survival and development of all children, in all situations, all of the time.
The Viscardi Center provides a lifespan of programs and services that educate, employ and empower children and adults with disabilities.
VSA - The International Organization on Arts and Disability
Vermont Center for Independent Living is people with disabilities working together for dignity, independence and civil rights