National Council on Disability

What National Council on Disability does

The National Council on Disability (NCD) is an independent federal agency of the United States government, established in 1978 and headquartered at 1331 F Street NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC. It is statutorily authorized under 29 U.S.C. 780 et seq. and operates as an advisory body to the President, Congress, and federal agencies on matters affecting individuals with disabilities. NCD's mandate spans the review and evaluation of federal disability policies, programs, and statutes, and the provision of policy recommendations, legislative proposals, and testimony to Congress. The agency is governed by nine Council members appointed by the President and Congressional leadership, with a majority required to be individuals with disabilities, and is staffed by approximately 55 employees. It is not a private enterprise and has no shareholders, investors, or equity holders.

NCD's core "products" are policy publications rather than commercial goods. Its portfolio includes policy letters, comprehensive reports, congressional testimony, toolkits, annual National Disability Policy: A Progress Reports, policy frameworks, fact sheets, and a newsletter. These outputs cover policy areas including civil rights, education, employment, healthcare, housing, transportation, technology, emergency management, financial assistance, long-term services and support, and international affairs (including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). NCD's most consequential historical contribution was drafting the original Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1986, which was enacted in 1990.

NCD is funded entirely through congressional appropriations and does not sell products or services. Authorized appropriations grew from $3.186M (FY2015) to $3.743M (FY2020). The agency maintains statutory partnerships with the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), and the Interagency Disability Coordinating Council, and complies with federal statutory frameworks including FOIA, the Privacy Act, the Government in the Sunshine Act, and the No FEAR Act.

Name

National Council on Disability

Legal name

National Council on Disability

Website

https://ncd.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The National Council on Disability is an independent U.S. federal agency that advises the President, Congress, and federal agencies on disability policy. It is funded by congressional appropriations and employs 55 staff and 9 appointed Council members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Federal Policy Advisory Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Disability policy
• Federal advisory
• Policy research
• Congressional testimony
• Disability rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The National Council on Disability is an independent federal agency that provides policy advice, recommendations, and legislative proposals to the President, Congress, and federal agencies on disability policy. It reviews and evaluates federal disability policies, programs, and statutes on a continuing basis, and publishes policy letters, reports, congressional testimony, toolkits, annual progress reports, frameworks, and fact sheets.

Product overview

The National Council on Disability is an independent federal agency (not a technology product company) that serves as a leading voice on disability policy. Its core offerings are policy advisory publications and reports rather than a software product. The portfolio consists of policy letters, comprehensive reports, congressional testimony, toolkits, annual progress reports, frameworks, fact sheets, and newsletters—all designed to advise the President, Congress, and federal agencies on disability policy matters. The publications cover diverse policy areas including civil rights, education, employment, healthcare, housing, transportation, technology, emergency management, and international affairs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Letters Official policy letters providing advice and recommendations to the President, Congress, and federal agencies on disability policy matters.
• Reports Comprehensive reports assessing disability policies, programs, and emerging issues affecting individuals with disabilities.
• Congressional Testimony Formal testimony presented to Congressional committees and other governmental bodies on disability policy issues.
• Toolkits Practical resources providing guidance on implementing disability policy and programs.
• National Disability Policy: A Progress Report Annual comprehensive assessment of the nation's progress in achieving disability policy goals, covering health, housing, employment, insurance, transportation, recreation, training, prevention, early intervention, and education.
• Frameworks Policy frameworks providing structured approaches to disability policy analysis and implementation.
• Fact Sheets Concise informational documents summarizing key disability policy issues and data.
• NCD Updates Newsletter Regular communications providing updates on NCD activities, news, and disability policy developments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Drafted ADA legislation in 1986; enacted 1990
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCD provides advice to the Director of NIDILRR with respect to policies and conduct, including ways to improve research concerning individuals with disabilities and methods of collecting and disseminating research findings.
• Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCD provides advice to the Commissioner of RSA with respect to policies and conduct of the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
• Interagency Disability Coordinating CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCD provides advice regarding priorities for the activities of the Interagency Disability Coordinating Council and reviews recommendations for legislative and administrative changes to ensure consistency with the Council's purpose of promoting full integration, independence, and productivity of individuals with disabilities.
• Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act ProgramssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCD reviews and evaluates policies, programs, and statutes pertaining to programs assisted under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): The only non-regulatory federal agency dedicated to disability employment policy, within the Department of Labor. Directly comparable to NCD as a federal policy advisor specifically focused on disability — sharing the advisory-to-other-agencies model and attention to a single core disability policy area.
• U.S. Access Board: An independent federal agency that develops accessibility guidelines and standards under multiple federal disability laws. Closely comparable to NCD as a federal advisory body focused on disability policy and accessibility, though with a narrower scope on physical and digital accessibility standards.
• American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD): A leading national disability rights and advocacy organization. Comparable to NCD as a disability advocacy organization that engages federal policymakers and amplifies the voices of people with disabilities, though it operates as a nonprofit rather than a federal agency.
• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): The nonprofit membership network for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) and Client Assistance Programs in every U.S. state and territory. Comparable to NCD as a high-profile disability rights advocacy organization operating at the federal level, though focused on legal advocacy rather than policy advice.
• National Council on Independent Living (NCIL): The longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. Comparable to NCD through its advisory relationship with federal disability policy and focus on independent living, paralleling NCD's independent living policy area.
• The Arc of the United States: A national community-based organization advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable to NCD as a federal-level disability advocacy organization with a similar scope across civil rights, education, employment, and community living.

Broad incumbents

• Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): A federal agency that administers programs that support individuals with disabilities in achieving employment and independence. Comparable to NCD as a federal disability actor — NCD has a statutory advisory relationship with the RSA Commissioner — though RSA implements programs while NCD advises.
• Administration for Community Living (ACL): A larger HHS operating division that administers disability, aging, and community-living programs across the federal government. Comparable to NCD as a federal actor in disability policy, but operates programs rather than purely advising.
• National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR): A federal research institute on disability, independent living, and rehabilitation. Comparable to NCD because NCD has a statutory advisory relationship to NIDILRR's Director and both operate within the federal disability policy infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF): A leading national disability rights civil rights law and policy center. Comparable to NCD through its federal-level policy work on disability civil rights, with greater focus on litigation and legal advocacy than NCD's advisory posture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCDgov
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NCDgov
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCDgov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncdgov
• Instagraminstagram.com/NCDgov

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Council on Disability