ACD
ACD is a Victorian non-profit advocacy organization, founded in 1980, that provides free support services — telephone advocacy, 100+ annual workshops, information resources, and peer support — to families of children with disability (ages 0-18) in Victoria, Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersSurrey Hills, Victoria, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ACD does
ACD (Association for Children with a Disability) is a Victorian non-profit advocacy body founded in 1980 by parents who successfully halted the closure of their children's respite facility. The organization provides free support services to families of children with disability (ages 0-18) across Victoria, Australia, led by staff who are themselves parents of children with disability. Core offerings include a free telephone ACD Support Line (03 9880 7000 / 1800 654 013 regional), over 100 free online workshops per year facilitated by parents of children with disability, a comprehensive library of free information resources covering early years, school, teenage years and NDIS navigation, and structured peer support programs including Working Out Dads and the A Good Life post-school webinar series.
The underlying "technology" is service delivery rather than software: a multi-channel distribution model spanning the NoticeBoard monthly newsletter, blog, social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), workshops, and the Support Line. The website is WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessible and available in five languages beyond English (Arabic, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi). Sub-products include the Early Childhood Approach (NDIS early intervention for ages 0-8) and Voting Rights Membership. ACD also conducts systemic advocacy, collaborating with researchers, community sector leaders, and government to influence disability public policy.
ACD's business model is a non-profit hybrid of government grants and donations. The core funding relationship is with the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), with supplementary revenue from tax-deductible individual and corporate donations, bequests, and memorial contributions. All services to end-users — families and professionals — are completely free, with no charges for the Support Line, workshops, information resources, peer support, or advocacy services. The organization is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and is HDAA certified. Operating from Surrey Hills, Victoria, with 41 employees, ACD does not generate earned income from its service recipients and therefore faces concentrated funding-partner risk despite a broad and dispersed end-user base.
ACD firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ACD
- Legal name
- Association for Children with a Disability
- Website
- https://acd.org.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ACD is a Victorian non-profit advocacy organization, founded in 1980, that provides free support services — telephone advocacy, 100+ annual workshops, information resources, and peer support — to families of children with disability (ages 0-18) in Victoria, Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ACD industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Disability Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Schools & Life Skills Programs (EDAKAAAD)
Keywords
Where ACD is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Surrey Hills, Victoria
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
ACD business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations: ACD accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. All donations over $2 are tax deductible. The organization also receives bequests through wills and memorial/dedication donations.
- Government Funding: ACD is a not-for-profit organization funded through government grants to deliver advocacy services for children with disability and their families in Victoria.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free services for all families |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
ACD product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ACD is a not-for-profit advocacy organization that delivers free support services to Victorian families raising children aged 0-18 with disability or developmental delay. Its core offerings include a free telephone Support Line, comprehensive written information resources covering early years through teenage years, over 100 free online workshops each year, peer support programs, and systemic advocacy to influence public policy on disability rights.
Product overview
ACD is a not-for-profit advocacy organization (Association for Children with a Disability) that offers a portfolio of free support services for Victorian families of children with disability aged 0-18. The core offering consists of Information Resources (guides and articles covering early years, NDIS, school, and teenage years), the ACD Support Line (free telephone advocacy service), and Workshops and Peer Support (100+ free online workshops annually delivered by parent-facilitators). Supporting offerings include the monthly NoticeBoard Newsletter, Voting Rights Membership, and specialized programs such as the Early Childhood Approach (NDIS-funded early intervention for children 0-8), the A Good Life webinar series (post-school planning), and Working Out Dads (peer support for fathers). The organization also conducts systemic advocacy to influence public policy and advance disability rights. All services are free and available in multiple languages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Information Resources Free, independent information resources written by staff with lived experience of disability, covering topics from early years through teenage years, NDIS navigation, school support, and family assistance.
- ACD Support Line A free telephone advocacy service for families of children aged 0-18 with any type of disability and developmental delay in Victoria, available Monday to Friday 9am-5pm with language interpreters.
- Workshops and Peer Support Over 100 free online workshops per year delivered by professional facilitators who are parents of children with disability, providing practical information and advocacy skills.
- NoticeBoard Newsletter A monthly online newsletter delivered to subscribers' inboxes, containing practical information about supports, resources, workshops and events.
- Advocacy Services Systemic advocacy to influence public policy, advance the rights of children with disability and their families, and amplify family voices through collaboration with researchers, community sector leaders and government.
- Early Childhood Approach NDIS program specifically for younger children (0-8 years) providing early intervention support without requiring formal diagnosis, covering therapy and equipment costs.
- A Good Life Program A free webinar series dedicated to helping families gain skills and information to support and navigate their child's growing independence after school.
- Working Out Dads A free online peer support program for fathers supporting children with disability.
Companies that use ACD
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ACD technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ACD partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Disability Services CommissionerminorFamilies can complain to the Disability Services Commissioner if they wish to make a formal complaint about ACD services.
- Researchers and academicsminorACD collaborates with researchers to increase impact and inform policy advocacy work.
- Community sector leaders and governmentcoreACD collaborates and works in partnership with community sector leaders and government to influence public policy and advance the rights of children with disability.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ACD competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Scope Australia: One of Australia's largest disability service providers, offering a broad portfolio including therapy, accommodation, and advocacy. Overlaps with ACD in serving children with disability and family support, but at much larger scale.
- Yooralla: Large Victorian disability service provider offering therapy, accommodation, and support across all ages. Geographic and population overlap with ACD but with a much broader service mix.
Direct peers
- VALID (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability): Victorian-based disability advocacy organization focused on individual advocacy and systemic change. Directly comparable geographic and mission overlap with ACD, serving similar populations in Victoria.
- Down Syndrome Australia: National peak body providing information, advocacy, and support for people with Down syndrome and families. Comparable free information resources, advocacy, and family-support services model.
- Carers Victoria: Victorian peak body supporting family carers. Comparable free-services-and-advocacy model, similar government funding base, and shared caregiver/family support mission.
- Inclusion Australia: National disability advocacy organization focused on inclusion of people with intellectual disability. Comparable advocacy and systemic influence model to ACD, with broader population focus.
- Amaze (formerly Autism Victoria): Victorian autism advocacy and information organization. Comparable peer-led, lived-experience model, free support line and information resources, and family-focused mission within Victoria.
- Noah's Ark Inc. Not-for-profit providing early childhood intervention services in Victoria and NSW. Comparable to ACD's Early Childhood Approach, with similar family-centered support model and Victorian overlap.
- Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA): National advocacy organization for children and young people with disability in Australia. Direct peer to ACD's mission, operating at the federal level where ACD operates state-level in Victoria.
- ECIA (Early Childhood Intervention Australia): National peak body for early childhood intervention in Australia. Comparable in mission (supporting young children with disability and developmental delay) and family-advocacy positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ACD social profiles
Digital presenceACD compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
ACD financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ACD leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ACD funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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ACD M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ACD
What does ACD do?
ACD is a not-for-profit advocacy organization that delivers free support services to Victorian families raising children aged 0-18 with disability or developmental delay. Its core offerings include a free telephone Support Line, comprehensive written information resources covering early years through teenage years, over 100 free online workshops each year, peer support programs, and systemic advocacy to influence public policy on disability rights.
Is ACD a public or private company?
ACD is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ACD founded?
ACD was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ACD based?
ACD is headquartered in Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does ACD make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are government Funding.
Who are ACD's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Scope Australia and Yooralla. Direct peers are VALID (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability), Down Syndrome Australia, Carers Victoria, Inclusion Australia, Amaze (formerly Autism Victoria), Noah's Ark Inc., Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) and ECIA (Early Childhood Intervention Australia).
Does ACD have an API?
No public API is recorded for ACD.
What industry is ACD in?
ACD's product category is Disability Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAFAG, Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction, with a secondary code of EDAKAKAG, Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language). Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8300.