Council of Canadians with Disabilities

What Council of Canadians with Disabilities does

The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) is a national Canadian human-rights organization of and for people with disabilities, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Operating since approximately 1985 (originally as COPOH), CCD advances an accessible and inclusive Canada through human-rights advocacy, public education, research, consultation, and litigation, and serves as a unifying national voice that amplifies the work of provincial, national, and academic disability organizations including CMDCI, CWDO, MLPD, NEADS, CACL, Canada Without Poverty, People First of Canada, the Caledon Institute, and several universities. CCD does not sell commercial products or services; its revenue is sourced from tax-deductible donations via CanadaHelps, federal project grants such as Employment and Social Development Canada funding for the Empower U / Disability Rights Online training program, and competitive research grants including a five-year $1 million SSHRC award for the Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship Research Alliance. Its technology footprint is a bilingual accessibility-focused website (screen-reader keyboard navigation, French/English content) and the disabilityrightsonline.ca training platform, supported by a small staff of 1-10 and a distributed partner network that extends CCD's reach nationally.

Name

Council of Canadians with Disabilities

Legal name

Council of Canadians with Disabilities

Website

https://ccdonline.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Council of Canadians with Disabilities is a national Canadian human-rights organization that advocates for accessibility and disability rights through policy work, litigation, training, and a coalition of provincial, national, and academic member organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CCD is a national human rights organization that delivers disability rights advocacy, public education, policy consultation, and training to advance an accessible and inclusive Canada. Its service offerings span five themes: human rights, social policy, transportation, international disability rights (UN CRPD), and technology/accessible ICT. Specific programs include the Empower U / Disability Rights Online training platform, the monthly bilingual newsletter "A Voice of Our Own," and participation in the SSHRC-funded Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship research alliance.

Product overview

The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) is a national human rights advocacy organization for people with disabilities, not a technology product company. CCD's activities include human rights advocacy, social policy work, transportation advocacy, international advocacy (particularly regarding the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), and public education. The organization publishes newsletters (Cette Voix qui est la nôtre / A Voice of Our Own), maintains a blog, produces videos, and conducts human rights training programs. While CCD operates a website at ccdonline.ca and hosts the disabilityrightsonline.ca training platform, it does not offer commercial software products, platforms, or modules as defined by this schema.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Empower U / Disability Rights Online Training Self-paced online training program for persons with disabilities on Canadian human rights law, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and its Optional Protocol, delivered through peer-led sessions by persons with disabilities for persons with disabilities.
• A Voice of Our Own / Cette Voix qui est la nôtre (Monthly Newsletter) Bilingual (English/French) monthly newsletter providing subscribers with information on CCD's activities, disability rights developments, and policy positions across Canada.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully advocated for Canada to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in March 2010 and the Optional Protocol in 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024CCD and CAD jointly applied for interested party status in Timothy Lidkea v. Correctional Service Canada (2026 CHRT 19), securing a landmark Tribunal decision on accessibility for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals in federal prisons.
• Laverne Jacobs (University of Windsor)notableOthers · 14 June 2022Dr. Laverne Jacobs, professor at University of Windsor and founder of The Law, Disability and Social Change Project, was supported by CCD and Canadian civil society for nomination to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Canadian Multicultural Disability Centre Inc. (CMDCI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2019CMDCI is a key partner in the Empower U / Disability Rights Online training project, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada. The project provides self-paced online training on disability human rights, including the CRPD and Canadian human rights laws.
• Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2019CWDO collaborates in the Disability Rights Online training project to increase awareness of disability rights among persons with disabilities through peer-led training.
• Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2019MLPD is part of the alliance implementing the Empower U training project on disability rights and the CRPD for persons with disabilities.
• National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2019NEADS participates in the Disability Rights Online training project to help post-secondary students with disabilities understand their rights and access remedies for discrimination.
• Government of CanadacoreOthers · 11 March 2010Canada ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which CCD advocated for since the Convention was signed on March 30, 2007. Canada later ratified the Optional Protocol in 2018.
• Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008CACL co-organizes the End Exclusion forum and is part of the five-year Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship research alliance led by CCD with $1 million SSHRC funding.
• Canada Without PovertycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Partner in the End Exclusion coalition working to eliminate poverty among persons with disabilities in Canada.
• National Network for Mental Health (NNMH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Academic partner in the Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship research alliance examining poverty and disability.
• People First of Canada (PAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Member organization representing people with intellectual disabilities, participating in the Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship research alliance.
• Caledon Institute on Social PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Research and policy partner in the Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship alliance providing expertise on social policy and poverty reduction.
• University of VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Academic partner led by Dr. Michael J. Prince (Landsdowne Chair in Social Policy) co-directing the five-year research alliance with CCD.
• University of TorontonotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Academic partner in the Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship research alliance.
• University of New BrunswicknotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Academic partner in the Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship research alliance.
• Université du Québec à MontréalnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Academic partner in the Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship research alliance.
• Employment and Social Development CanadacoreOthers · 1 January 2008Federal government department that funds the Disability Rights Online / Empower U training project implemented by CCD and partner organizations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Inclusion Canada: National Canadian disability rights organization (formerly Canadian Association for Community Living) that directly collaborates with CCD as a co-organizer of the End Exclusion forum and partner in the Disabling Poverty research alliance. Directly comparable national-level human rights advocacy mission.
• Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD): National advocacy organization representing Deaf Canadians and sign language users; CCD and CAD jointly sought interested party status at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in Lidkea v. Correctional Service Canada. Directly comparable disability-specific human rights advocacy scope.
• National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS): National Canadian organization advocating for post-secondary students with disabilities; CCD partner in the Empower U training project. Comparable advocacy focus with overlapping rights-based approach.
• Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO): Provincial cross-disability advocacy coalition in Ontario that partners with CCD on the Empower U / Disability Rights Online training project. Comparable disability rights advocacy and policy work at a sub-national level.
• Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD): Provincial cross-disability advocacy organization headquartered in Manitoba that partners with CCD on the Empower U training initiative. Highly comparable in mandate, scale, and approach to disability rights advocacy.
• Canadian Multicultural Disability Centre Inc. (CMDCI): National organization advocating for the rights of culturally diverse people with disabilities in Canada; co-implements the Empower U training project with CCD. Directly comparable mission with intersecting focus on disability and equity.

Broad incumbents

• Rick Hansen Foundation: Large established Canadian disability-focused organization operating accessibility programs, research, and awareness campaigns. Broader scope and significantly larger resources than CCD, but operates in overlapping accessibility advocacy space.

Emerging players

• Disability Rights International: International human rights organization dedicated to promoting the rights of people with disabilities globally, with similar UN CRPD engagement and litigation focus. Comparable mission with broader geographic scope.
• Canada Without Poverty: National anti-poverty organization partnering with CCD in the End Exclusion coalition on poverty and disability issues. Partial overlap on poverty-disability intersection but broader poverty mandate.

Regional players

• ARCH Disability Law Centre: Ontario-based specialty legal aid clinic providing rights advocacy for persons with disabilities; uses similar litigation and test-case strategies as CCD, but focuses on individual legal representation in Ontario.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ccdonline
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ccdonline
• Facebookfacebook.com/ccdonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-of-canadians-with-disabilities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Council of Canadians with Disabilities