Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle

What Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle does

SQDI is a provincial non-profit membership association headquartered in Montréal, Québec, founded in 1951 to promote and defend the rights and interests of people with intellectual disabilities (Personnes having a déficience intellectuelle) and their families. It serves as an umbrella organization for more than 100 member organizations operating across Québec and maintains more than 50 collaborations and partnerships with public, academic, and community stakeholders. Its primary constituents are persons with intellectual disabilities, their family members and caregivers, and the member organizations that provide direct services; the organization's central mission is to address social exclusion, barriers to inclusive education, inadequate housing, limited employment opportunities, and capacitism.

SQDI operates exclusively through advocacy, training, and community-building rather than any proprietary technology platform. Core offerings include collective advocacy and policy representation at the National Assembly, public awareness campaigns (notably the Semaine québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle and the 'J'ai ma place en emploi!' campaign), permanent and occasional training programs, practical toolkits and resources, and flagship events such as the Grand rendez-vous de la déficience intellectuelle. It publishes an Orientations & demandes policy document (third edition released in 2026) and a strategic plan covering 2024-2029 titled 'S'unir pour un Québec inclusif'.

The business model is that of a non-profit membership association. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and is derived from membership dues, donations, government grants, and event/training fees. Distribution is direct via the sqdi.ca website, a monthly newsletter, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube), and in-person events. SQDI is governed by a member-elected board under a general director (currently Amélie Duranleau) and embeds a 'nothing about us without us' principle in its governance, with no external investors, parent company, or for-profit ownership identified.

Name

Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle

Legal name

Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle

Website

https://sqdi.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle (SQDI) is a Montréal-based provincial non-profit founded in 1951 that brings together more than 100 member organizations across Québec to advocate for the rights and interests of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Intellectual disability advocacy
• Disability rights promotion
• Nonprofit membership association
• Disability awareness training
• Community support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle (SQDI) is a provincial nonprofit membership association that advocates for the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities in Québec. It delivers collective advocacy and policy representation before public authorities, runs permanent and occasional training programs (Formations permanentes and Formations ponctuelles), organizes awareness-raising events such as the annual Semaine québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle and the Grand rendez-vous de la déficience intellectuelle, and produces practical guides, podcasts, videos, and other resources for persons with intellectual disabilities, their families, and member organizations.

Product overview

The Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle (SQDI) is a non-profit advocacy organization, not a technology product company. As a provincial umbrella organization representing over 100 member organizations, its offerings consist entirely of advocacy services, awareness campaigns, educational resources, and community events. Core services include: policy advocacy and representation for people with intellectual disabilities; awareness initiatives including the annual Semaine québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle and Grand rendez-vous de la déficience intellectuelle events; educational offerings such as permanent and occasional training sessions; information resources including practical guides, podcasts, videos, and newsletters; and member organization support services. The organization also publishes annual reports and strategic planning documents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (OPHQ): Québec government agency coordinating public policy on disability. Comparable to SQDI in that both operate at the provincial level on disability rights, accessibility, and services policy in Québec, though OPHQ is a state-funded governmental body rather than a member-driven nonprofit.

Regional players

• Community Living Ontario: Ontario-based federation advancing rights and services for people with intellectual disabilities. Directly comparable to SQDI as a provincial advocacy and member-organization network for intellectual disability, differing only by serving Ontario rather than Québec.
• Community Living British Columbia: BC's provincial organization supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Comparable to SQDI as a Canadian provincial advocacy and services-coordination organization for the intellectual disability community in a different geography.
• Alliance pour les droits et l'inclusion sociale (ADIS): Québec coalition advocating for the social participation of people with disabilities. Comparable to SQDI as a provincial advocacy organization working on systemic barriers (housing, employment, rights) for people with disabilities in Québec.
• Regroupement des aveugles et amblyopes du Québec (RAAMM): Québec nonprofit advocating for people with visual impairments. Comparable to SQDI as a provincially scoped disability-led advocacy organization in Québec, but focused on a different disability constituency.
• Regroupement des personnes handicapées visuelles du Québec (RPHVQ): Québec organization advocating for visual and hearing disabilities. Comparable to SQDI as a provincial disability advocacy association in Québec with comparable awareness, training, and policy-engagement activities.

Broad incumbents

• Inclusion Canada: National Canadian federation advocating for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Directly comparable to SQDI as the federal-level counterpart operating under a similar rights-based, member-driven advocacy and federation model, but serving all provinces rather than Québec specifically.

Direct peers

• Association du Québec pour l'intégration sociale (AQIS): Québec nonprofit dedicated to the social integration of people with intellectual disabilities. Closely comparable to SQDI because both operate in the same province, serve the same intellectual disability population, and pursue rights- and participation-based advocacy.
• Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec (COPHAN): Québec-wide coalition of disability-focused member organizations. Comparable to SQDI because both serve as provincial-level umbrella associations for disability advocacy in Québec, coordinate collective positions before the National Assembly, and rely on a membership-based governance structure.

Emerging players

• Special Olympics Quebec: Québec chapter of Special Olympics serving athletes with intellectual disabilities. Comparable to SQDI as a Québec-based nonprofit serving the intellectual disability population, though focused on sport rather than rights advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sqdi_ca
• Facebookfacebook.com/sqdi.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sqdi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Société québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle