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Non-profit

International Disability Alliance (IDA)

Website:

www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/
Headquarters:

150 route de Ferney, PO Box 2100
Location:

Geneva, Switzerland
Status:

Non-Profit
Formation:

2002
Type:

Disability Advocacy Organization
President:

Yannis Vardakastanis
Budget (2020):

Revenue:                          5,949,836 Swiss francs

Expenses:                        3,040,862 Swiss francs

Assets:                             3,272,157 Swiss francs

1

References

  1. “Report of the statutory auditor on the financial statements.” EY Consulting. May 10, 2021. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/sites/default/files/20_rs-co_ida_31122020_esigned.pdf.

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International Disability Alliance (IDA) is a Geneva-based alliance of 14 global and regional organizations that represent persons with disabilities. 1

IDA stands “in solidarity” with the critical race theory-influenced “anti-racism” movement. 2 IDA pursues a critical race theory-influenced “intersectionalities strategy” as a part of its advocacy work 3 and supported the 2020 “anti-racism” protests in the United States following the murder of George Floyd. 4

IDA has received at least $1,962,708 of grants from liberal billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) since 2016. 5

History and Leadership

International Disability Alliance (IDA) was founded in 1999 as a network of global organizations that represent people with disabilities and their families. In 2007, the organization expanded to include regional organizations. 6

Yannis Vardakastanis is the chair of IDA. 7 IDA is governed by its board, which consists of representatives from each full member. 8

IDA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has a branch office in New York City. 9

Activities and Funding

International Disability Alliance is an alliance of 14global and regional organizations that represent persons with disabilities. 10 IDA offers training, resources, and other information regarding disabilities 11 and advocates at the United Nations (UN) on disability-related issues. 12 IDA also helped establish the International Disability Caucus (IDC), which was an important factor in the negotiation of the United Nations Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). 13

IDA stands “in solidarity” with the critical race theory-influenced “anti-racism” movement 14 and pursues a critical race theory-influenced “intersectionalities strategy” as a part of its advocacy work to support youth, older, and indigenous individuals in its activism. 15

In 2020, the IDA supported protests in the United States following the murder of George Floyd. IDA claimed that critical race theory-influenced “anti-racism” protests are rooted in a “fear of diversity” in the United States. 16 In a statement on the topic, IDA claimed that disabled African Americans face barriers in all aspects of their lives because of disabilities and skin color; supported the critical race theory-influenced concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and said that failure to “embrace diversity” leads to cultural bias, racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny, transphobia, classism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia. 17

IDA supports the UN’s left-of-center environmentalist sustainable development goals, its 2030 Agenda, 18 and engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Council. 19 At the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), IDA said that people with disabilities suffer from climate change the most and are least included in climate-related decisions. 20

The IDA network includes eight global and six regional members as well as one observer organization. 21 IDA members include the African Disability Forum, Arab Organization of Persons with Disabilities, ASEAN Disability Forum, Down Syndrome International, European Disability Forum, Inclusion International, International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, International Federation of Hard of Hearing People, Pacific Disability Forum, World Blind Union, World Federation of Deafblind, World Federation of the Deaf, and World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. 22

Funding

International Disability Alliance reported revenue of 5,494,836 Swiss francs ($5,812,217 in November 2022) and expenses of 3,040,862 Swiss francs. 23

IDA has received at least $1,962,708 in grants from liberal billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF). 24 OSF issued grants of $165,000 in 2020; $208,000 in 2019; $569,000 in 2018; $440,500 in 2017; and $580,000 in 2016. 25 In 2014, Soros’s Open Society Institute also contributed $301,264 to IDA. 26

In 2019 IDA received a $25,000 grant from the left-of-center Ford Foundation in 2019. 27 IDA also received $50,000 from the Ford Foundation in 2017, $475,000 from the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund in 2017, 28 and $175,000 from Wellspring Philanthropic Fund in 2016. 29

IDA’s partners and donors include various departments of the Australian, Swedish, United Kingdom, Norwegian, Finnish, German, Danish, and Swiss governments; Christian Blind Mission International; George Soros’s Open Society Foundations; United Nations Population Fund; World Health Organization; United Nations Children’s Fund, and the United Nations Partnership to Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 30

References

  1. “History.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/history.
  2. IDA. “International Disability Alliance statement in solidarity with the anti-racism movement.” International Disability Alliance. June 18, 2022. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/ida-statement-anti-racism.
  3.  “Intersectionalities.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/intersectionalities.
  4. IDA. “International Disability Alliance statement in solidarity with the anti-racism movement.” International Disability Alliance. June 18, 2022. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/ida-statement-anti-racism.
  5. “All Commitments made by Open Society Foundations.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/commitments/stakeholder/open-society-foundations.
  6. “History.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/history.
  7. “IDA Chair.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/chair.
  8. “People.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/ida-board-and-secretariat.
  9. “Contact the IDA Secretariat.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/contact.
  10. “Home.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/.
  11. “History.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/history.
  12. “Home.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/.
  13. “History.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 24, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/history.
  14. IDA. “International Disability Alliance statement in solidarity with the anti-racism movement.” International Disability Alliance. June 18, 2022. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/ida-statement-anti-racism.
  15. “Intersectionalities.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/intersectionalities.
  16. IDA. “International Disability Alliance statement in solidarity with the anti-racism movement.” International Disability Alliance. June 18, 2022. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/ida-statement-anti-racism.
  17. IDA. “International Disability Alliance statement in solidarity with the anti-racism movement.” International Disability Alliance. June 18, 2022. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/ida-statement-anti-racism.
  18. Vladimir Cuk and Rodrigo Messias. “Together 2030 blog: The Road to Participation, Stakeholder Engagement at the High-level Political Forum.” International Disability Alliance. December 5, 2016. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/together-2030-HLPF.
  19. “History.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/history.
  20. “Some good news for persons with disabilities from COP27.” International Disability Alliance. November 21, 2022. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/some-good-news-persons-disabilities-cop27
  21. “IDA Members.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/ida-members.
  22. “IDA Members.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/content/ida-members.
  23. “Report of the statutory auditor on the financial statements.” EY Consulting. May 10, 2021. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/sites/default/files/20_rs-co_ida_31122020_esigned.pdf.
  24. “All Commitments made by Open Society Foundations.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/commitments/stakeholder/open-society-foundations.
  25. “Awarded Grants.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=international+disability+alliance.
  26. “Open Society Institute.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2014. Accessed November 24, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/137029285/201503179349100345/IRS990PF.
  27. “Ford Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2019. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131684331/202023189349104072/IRS990PF.
  28. “Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2017. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/223692921/201932879349100313/full.
  29. “Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2016. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/223692921/201802889349100600/IRS990PF.
  30. “Our Partners and Donors.” International Disability Alliance. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/partners-donors.
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