Donald Beasley Institute

What Donald Beasley Institute does

The Donald Beasley Institute (DBI) is a non-profit, rights-based disability research institute established in 1984 and headquartered in Dunedin, New Zealand, with a team of 13 researchers operating throughout Aotearoa. The institute conducts ethical, inclusive, and transformative research that centres the voices and human rights of disabled people, honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and aligning with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the New Zealand Disability Strategy, and Enabling Good Lives principles. Its core offerings include ongoing disabled person-led UNCRPD monitoring on behalf of the Disabled People's Organisations Coalition (DPO Coalition), the Benchmark Initiative providing evidence-based legal resources, and thematic research projects spanning policing, family and home, and standard of living. DBI has no proprietary technology platform; its outputs are human-produced research reports, publications, and educational seminars delivered through the Critical Disability Studies Research Network.

DBI's revenue model is structured around commissioned research services funded by New Zealand government agencies, including Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People, New Zealand Police, and the Health Quality & Safety Commission, as well as commissions from the DPO Coalition and grants from charitable trusts such as the Jubilee Trust. All three revenue streams are classified as professional services. Publications and resources are made publicly available and free when possible, with no pricing charged for research outputs. The customer base comprises a small number of government and quasi-government institutional clients, with the DPO Coalition functioning as a repeat commissioning entity across multiple UNCRPD monitoring cycles since 2018.

Name

Donald Beasley Institute

Legal name

Donald Beasley Institute

Website

https://donaldbeasley.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Donald Beasley Institute is a non-profit, rights-based disability research institute in Dunedin, New Zealand, conducting ethical, inclusive research for disabled people, government agencies, and the DPO Coalition across UNCRPD monitoring, policing, health, and family topics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Disability research services
• Rights-based research
• UNCRPD monitoring
• Inclusive research methodologies
• Social policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Dunedin, Otago

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Research Contracts: Funded by New Zealand government agencies including Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People and New Zealand Police for specific research projects
2. Disabled People's Organisations Coalition Commission: Commissioned by the DPO Coalition to conduct UNCRPD monitoring on behalf of disabled people's organizations
3. Trust and Foundation Funding: Funded by charitable trusts such as the Jubilee Trust for specific research projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Donald Beasley Institute is a non-profit, disability-led research institute that conducts ethical, inclusive, and transformative research advancing the rights of disabled people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Its core offerings include disabled person-led monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on behalf of the Disabled People's Organisations Coalition, commissioned research projects for government agencies (e.g., Understanding Policing Delivery for New Zealand Police), the Benchmark Initiative providing evidence-based legal guidelines, and education through the Critical Disability Studies Research Network.

Product overview

The Donald Beasley Institute is a rights-based disability research institute established in 1984, offering a portfolio of research services, publications, and educational initiatives rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include disabled person-led monitoring of the UNCRPD for the DPO Coalition, the Benchmark Initiative providing legal professional resources, various research projects on disability topics (policing, family, housing), and the Critical Disability Studies Research Network. Publications are disseminated in multiple formats including PDF, Word, Easy Read, NZ Sign Language, audio, braille, and te reo Māori. The institute does not offer a technology product or platform but rather provides research, reports, and educational resources to advance disability rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Benchmark Initiative: Evidence-based guidelines, case law, and resources to assist legal professionals working with people in the New Zealand legal system who experience barriers to full participation.

Products and services

• Benchmark Initiative A collaborative project providing evidence-based guidelines, case law, and resources to assist legal professionals working with people who experience barriers to full participation in the New Zealand legal system, with a focus on UNCRPD principles.
• Disabled Person-Led Monitoring of the UNCRPD Ongoing disabled person-led monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities examining disabled people's access to housing, health and wellbeing, disability supports and services, and standard of living on behalf of the Disabled People's Organisations Coalition.
• Understanding Policing Delivery: Tākata Whaikaha, D/deaf and Disabled People Completed research examining policing experiences of tākata whaikaha, D/deaf and disabled people, providing insights into Police attitudes, decision making around use of force and laying charges, and disability-responsive policing practices for the New Zealand Police.
• The Meaning of 'Family' in a Multicultural Context Research project exploring disabled people's experiences of home and family in Aotearoa New Zealand, examining how disabled people are impacted by culture, disability, and health in family contexts, funded by the Jubilee Trust.
• Window on Disability Report Comprehensive report examining health outcomes for disabled people, developed in partnership with the Health Quality & Safety Commission, highlighting systemic failures in the New Zealand public health system.
• Critical Disability Studies Research Network A seminar series hosted at the University of Otago campus featuring academic presentations on topics such as Hope in Surviving Neoliberalism, supporting knowledge sharing in disability studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Four monitoring cycles completed since 2018 covering housing, health and wellbeing, and disability supports and services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū HauoracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborated with the Health Quality & Safety Commission and Nicholson Consulting on the 'Window on Disability' report examining health outcomes for disabled people in New Zealand's public health system. The report highlights that disabled people experience consistently poorer health outcomes across almost every metric.
• Nicholson ConsultingsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Nicholson Consulting collaborated on the 'Window on Disability' report alongside the Health Quality & Safety Commission, providing analytical expertise on health outcomes data for disabled people.
• New Zealand PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022New Zealand Police funded the Understanding Policing Delivery research (2022-2024) examining how Police engage with tākata whaikaha, D/deaf and disabled people, decision making around use of force, and laying of charges. The research was designed to support Police to address matters of equity and fairness and deliver more equitable, inclusive and accessible Police services.
• Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People funded the Disabled Person-Led Monitoring of the UNCRPD: Disability Supports and Services research (2022-2025) through the Disabled People's Organisations Coalition. The research monitors how well disability supports and services are working for disabled people.
• Disabled People's Organisations Coalition (DPO Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The DPO Coalition commissioned the Donald Beasley Institute to conduct disabled person-led monitoring of the UNCRPD on their behalf. Since 2018, the institute has undertaken multiple monitoring cycles covering housing, health and wellbeing, and disability supports and services. The DPO Coalition represents disabled people's organizations in New Zealand.
• University of OtagosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe institute hosts the Critical Disability Studies Research Network seminars at the University of Otago campus, providing a venue for academic engagement and knowledge sharing on disability studies.
• Waipapa Taumata Rau, The University of AucklandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Sandra Yellowhorse, a researcher in Critical Indigenous Disability Studies, is based at Waipapa Taumata Rau, The University of Auckland. She was hosted by the DBI for a presentation on Indigenous Inclusive Education.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Disability Rights UK: Disability Rights UK is a disabled-led national organisation that combines rights advocacy, research, policy engagement, and accessible resources. It is comparable in target population and rights-focused mission, but it is more advocacy-led and operates in the UK.
• Inclusion International: Inclusion International is a global network promoting the rights and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities through advocacy, research, and member support. It shares DBI's human-rights and UNCRPD orientation but is a network and advocacy platform rather than a directly competing research institute.

Broad incumbents

• World Health Organization: WHO conducts global research, technical assistance, and normative work on disability, health systems, and inclusion. It overlaps with DBI's evidence and technical-assistance role at a much larger global scale, making it a broad incumbent comparator.
• National Council on Disability: The US National Council on Disability is an independent federal agency that conducts disability policy analysis and advises government on rights and participation. It is a broad policy and research comparator for DBI's government-facing monitoring and policy evidence work, but not a direct commercial competitor.
• New Zealand Human Rights Commission: The New Zealand Human Rights Commission investigates and promotes human rights, including disability rights, and produces research and policy guidance. It is a domestic broad comparator to DBI's rights-based research and UNCRPD accountability work, but it has a wider public mandate.

Regional players

• National Disability Research and Development Centre: The Australian National Disability Research and Development Centre builds disability research capacity and connects research with policy and practice. Its research partnership model and disability-sector stakeholders overlap directly with DBI's commissioned research and UNCRPD monitoring work.
• Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney: The University of Sydney's Centre for Disability Research and Policy focuses on disability policy, participation, rights, and social inclusion through interdisciplinary research. It shares DBI's evidence, policy, and rights orientation, although it serves a different national research and funding context.
• Melbourne Disability Institute: The Melbourne Disability Institute is an interdisciplinary research and engagement centre addressing disability inclusion, health, rights, and social participation. Its combination of research, education, and policy engagement makes it a strong regional comparator to DBI.

Direct peers

• Institute for Community Inclusion: The Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston conducts research, training, and dissemination on employment and community inclusion for people with disabilities. Its research-to-practice model, focus on disability outcomes, and work with public agencies are directly comparable to DBI's rights-based research and education.
• Te Pou: Te Pou is a New Zealand national centre of excellence for mental health, addiction and disability workforce development. It produces research, data analysis, training, and resources for government and sector organisations, making its research-and-advisory model closely comparable to DBI's government and community research work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/dbi_nz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donald-beasley-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Donald Beasley Institute