Against All Odds, Disability Rights Movements are Leading Change

Dwarf Association Nepal advocates for the rights of Little People. Photo: Rucha Chitnis

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we celebrate disability rights movements that are leading change against all odds.  

At the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), we know that as global human rights face unprecedented threats, persons with disabilities are not waiting for change — they are leading it. This is why we center the leadership of organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) that are creating innovative, holistic solutions to some of the world’s most urgent challenges—from climate change to gender inequality and shrinking civic space. 

Here’s how disability rights movements are advancing justice and inclusion in their communities: 

• In Papua New Guinea, the disability rights movement achieved a historic milestone with the passage of the new ‘Disability Services Bill.’  

• In Nigeria, youth with disabilities are building their leadership to hold their government accountable for commitments made at the 2025 Global Disability Summit. 

• And at COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, DRF resourced a cohort of activists from the Global South who demandedinclusive climate action. 

These stories remind us that disability rights are central to advancing all human rights, and that progress happens when those in the margins lead the way. 

This International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we invite you to resource intersectional disability rights movements.