What DISABLED PEOPLES' INTERNATIONAL does

Disabled Peoples' International (DPI), founded in 1981 in Singapore and headquartered in Edmonton, Canada, is a non-profit international federation that coordinates a global network of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) across more than 130 countries. Its mission is to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and promote their full and equal participation in society through advocacy at international bodies including the UN, EU, World Bank, WHO, and ILO. DPI played a documented role in drafting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2006 and now ratified by 162 states, and has helped place disability in 7 of 169 targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

DPI does not sell products or services and operates without proprietary technology. Its core activities are policy advocacy, capacity building for OPDs, convening World Assemblies (most recently in Cairo in 2016) and regional assemblies, and disseminating position papers, declarations, and ratification toolkits through its website (dpi.org). Revenue flows from international development funding sourced from UN agencies, bilateral donors (USAID, AUSAID), multilateral development banks (World Bank, Asian Development Bank), and international NGOs (CBM, Humanity & Inclusion, World Vision, Oxfam, Caritas). The central organization is staffed at 1-10 employees; governance is exercised by a World President and World Council, currently led by World President Abdus Sattar Dulal (elected 2025), with regional structures including DPI Europe, DPI Asia-Pacific, DPI-Japan, the African Disability Forum, the Pacific Disability Forum, AOPD, and RIADIS.

The organization's go-to-market motion is community-led advocacy rather than commercial sales. Distribution occurs through the federation of National Assemblies, which act as both members and on-the-ground implementers. Strategic priorities under the 2025 World President include restoring DPI's organizational capacity, revitalizing its representation and leadership worldwide, and continuing to safeguard the rights and development of the approximately 1.3 billion persons with disabilities globally. Notable disclosures include that the DPI National Assembly in Bangladesh (BPKS) has raised over $15 million USD and implemented more than 25 projects, supporting millions of persons with disabilities through 30 OPDs.

Name

DISABLED PEOPLES' INTERNATIONAL

Legal name

Disabled Peoples' International

Website

https://dpi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Disabled Peoples' International is a non-profit federation coordinating a network of disability rights organizations across more than 130 countries, advancing advocacy, capacity building, and policy influence with the UN, EU, World Bank, WHO, and ILO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights, Social Inclusion & Disability Inclusion (BPAGABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF), Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH), United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

Keywords

• Disability rights advocacy
• Human rights organization
• Policy advocacy services
• International development programs
• Capacity building services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. International Development Funding: DPI receives funding and project support from international development organizations including UN agencies, bilateral aid agencies (USAID, AUSAID), multilateral development banks (World Bank, Asian Development Bank), and international NGOs (CBM, HI, Caritas, World Vision, Oxfam).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Disabled Peoples' International is a global human rights federation that advocates for the rights, development, and full participation of persons with disabilities through a network of National Assemblies in over 130 countries. It coordinates policy lobbying at the UN, EU, WHO, ILO, and World Bank, supports capacity building of disability-led organizations, and promotes ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). DPI does not sell commercial products or services.

Product overview

Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) is a global human rights organization focused on advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities. The organization operates through a network of national assemblies across over 130 countries, engaging in policy advocacy, publications, regional activities, and governance structures. DPI does not offer commercial technology products or services; its activities center on lobbying for disability rights, promoting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and facilitating international cooperation among disability organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CRPD Tool Kit
• World Assemblies
• Regional Assemblies (e.g., DPI Asia Pacific Regional Assembly 2016)
• COSP Statements and Lobbying Outputs
• Capacity Building and Organizational Development Programs for OPDs

Quantifiable outcome

• DPI helped achieve the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) - now ratified by 162 States representing 84% of UN members
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Nations (UN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPI has longstanding relationship with UN agencies for promoting rights of persons with disabilities. Dulal has contributed expertise to UN initiatives in 71 countries. DPI played key role in drafting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPI collaborates with WHO on disability-inclusive health policies and pandemic response. DPI has called for greater access by developing nations to COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPI works with ILO on disability-inclusive employment policies and decent work initiatives for persons with disabilities.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPI has strategic relations with World Bank for disability-inclusive development programs. Dulal contributed expertise to World Bank policies and programs across 71 countries.
• European Union (EU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPI collaborates with EU on disability rights advocacy and development programs. EU funding supports disability-inclusive initiatives.
• CBM InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBM is a key international Christian development organization collaborating with DPI on disability-inclusive development programs.
• Humanity & Inclusion (HI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHI (formerly Handicap International) partners with DPI on disability-inclusive humanitarian and development initiatives.
• World VisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Vision collaborates with DPI on disability-inclusive development and advocacy programs.
• OxfamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxfam partners with DPI on advocacy for disability-inclusive development and poverty eradication.
• Japan National Assembly of Disabled Peoples' International (DPI-Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPI-Japan co-hosted the DPI Asia Pacific Regional Assembly 2016 in Tokyo and provides secretariat support for DPI AP international affairs. DPI-Japan organizes JICA training courses on disability mainstreaming.
• DPI EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional body of DPI engaging with migrants and disability rights issues in Europe. Led by Jean-Luc Simon.
• African Disability Forum (ADF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional disability forum representing African OPDs and collaborating with DPI on advocacy and policy.
• Pacific Disability Forum (PDF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional disability forum for Pacific island nations partnering with DPI on advocacy.
• Arab Organization of Persons with Disabilities (AOPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional organization partnering with DPI, co-organized the DPI 9th World Assembly and CRPD conference in Cairo 2016.
• RIADIS (Red Iberoamericana de Organizaciones de Personas con Discapacidad y sus familias)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatin American regional disability organization collaborating with DPI on advocacy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Inclusion International: Inclusion International is a global federation advocating for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities and their families, with member organizations in 100+ countries. Comparable to DPI as a peer global disability federation with similar advocacy model and UN engagement.
• Special Olympics International: Special Olympics is a global movement serving persons with intellectual disabilities through sports, with presence in 170+ countries. While more programmatic than DPI, it serves a similar global disability constituency with comparable international federation structure.
• International Disability Alliance (IDA): IDA is a global alliance of disability and development organizations that advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities at the UN, directly overlapping DPI's mandate of CRPD implementation and UN-level advocacy. Both serve as convening federations for disability rights at multilateral bodies.
• World Federation of the Deaf (WFD): WFD is a global federation of national associations of deaf people spanning 130+ countries, structured similarly to DPI as an OPD-led international advocacy body. Both operate as federations engaging with the UN on disability rights conventions.
• World Blind Union (WBU): WBU is a global organization representing blind and partially sighted people in 190+ countries, with a comparable federated structure to DPI. Both operate as umbrella advocacy bodies for specific disability constituencies at the international level.

Broad incumbents

• CBM International: CBM is one of the largest disability-focused INGOs globally, partnering directly with DPI on disability-inclusive development programs. CBM has substantially larger financial resources and programmatic depth, making it a broader incumbent in the same advocacy and inclusion space.
• Light for the World: Light for the World is an international disability rights and inclusion NGO working on eye health, education, and economic empowerment in low-income countries. It is a comparable disability-focused INGO with overlapping UN and donor relationships with DPI.
• Humanity & Inclusion (HI): HI (formerly Handicap International) is a major international disability and humanitarian NGO partnering with DPI on inclusive development. It is a broader incumbent with significantly larger operational scale, working across 60+ countries on disability inclusion and humanitarian response.

Others

• Amnesty International: Amnesty is a leading international human rights organization with a similar advocacy and UN engagement model, though it focuses on broader civil and political rights rather than disability specifically. Comparable as a global human rights NGO with UN consultative status.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): IUCN is a global membership-based union with a similar federated structure across 140+ countries and observer status at the UN. Comparable as a long-established international federation model with National/Regional Committees, though focused on environment rather than disability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disabled-peoples-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about DISABLED PEOPLES' INTERNATIONAL