Disability Rights Fund

05/30/2026

The Disability Rights Fund's call for Letters of Interest (LOIs) for 2026 is open!

We invite eligible organizations of persons with disabilities from Haiti, Sub-Saharan Africa, South & South-East Asia and Pacific Island Countries to submit Letters of Interest by Sunday, 21st June, 2026.

Details on the application process are available here: https://disabilityrightsfund.us-1.smartsimple.com/ex/ex_routing.jsp?token=HwoPTxkbYA%3D%3D&lang=1.

Virtual information sessions will be held for applicants in case of questions about the call and application process. We invite you to register for the webinar session in your specific region and time zone via our website: https://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/grantseekers/

Image ID: A purple graphic with DRF logo and a photo of women holding hands. Text: Now Open! 2026 Grant Round and details of the round mentioned in the text above

05/04/2026

Last week at , our Executive Director Connie Laurin-Bowie sat down with Faatino Utumapu, CO-chair of the Pacific Disability Forum, to discuss her nomination for the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). She would be the first-ever representative from the Pacific Island nations elected to the Committee. We wish her every success in her candidacy!

04/30/2026

Powerful words from our Co-Chair, Maria Ní Fhlatharta, at yesterday’s plenary dialogue, “Resourcing Feminist Futures: Power, Politics, and the Future of Funding”:
“Listen to the people you are funding, and don’t be afraid of being wrong—these should be guiding principles for all donors supporting social justice movements.”
Our thanks to , the ’s Jess Tomlin, Siri May and all other fellow panelists and participants for an excellent discussion.

04/29/2026

On the sidelines of , our Executive Director, Connie Laurin-Bowie and International's Maryangel Garcia-Ramos reflected on the barriers still excluding women with disabilities from feminist movements and spaces--and how to dismantle them.
Together with our allies and partners, we are pushing for the inclusion of women with disabilities in platforms where they can help shape the future.

03/24/2026

In our 2025 grantmaking round, the Disability Rights Fund disbursed a total of $5.2 million (USD). In our first open call in recent years, we made a total of 165 grants in 42 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean. From gender justice to youth leadership to climate justice, persons with disabilities around the world are building powerful movements for change. Read about our 2025 grantmaking round in our latest blog: https://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/2026/03/13/our-grantmaking-in-2025/

Image ID: A joyful group picture of persons with disabilities
Photo Credit: HAPI

03/16/2026

We're really looking forward to cohosting this webinar next week along with the European Disability Forum, the Youth Negotiators Academy, and the Disability Climate Caucus.

'From grassroots to global negotiations – youth with disabilities at the frontlines of climate action' will explore how centering the experiences, knowledge, and leadership of youth with disabilities can strengthen climate advocacy, challenge exclusion, and build more equitable and inclusive movements and policy spaces.

For more information and to register, visit https://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/2026/03/03/youth-with-disabilities/

03/08/2026

When gender, age, and disability intersect, exclusion deepens — but so does wisdom, resilience, and leadership. On International Women’s Day, we recognise and celebrate older women with disabilities, like Ariani, as leaders whose lived experience strengthens democracy and drives transformative change.

“Our advocacy and value are not measured by the years we have left, but by the lived expertise we carry. For over two decades, I have fought for democracy and a world where disability is not perceived as a barrier to participation or leadership. A truly civilised nation does not retire its wisdom; it honours the insight and inherent dignity of older women with disabilities. We are not a demographic to be 'included'—we are the foundation of the movement.” -Ariani Soekanwo

In these uncertain times for democracy, when rights are increasingly contested, we must reaffirm our commitment to inclusive political participation. We welcome the development of a new treaty on the rights of older persons—one that fully upholds and advances the rights, dignity, and leadership of older women in all their diversity.

12/24/2025

Our team will be taking a wellbeing break from December 24 through January 4 to rest and recharge. Thank you for being part of our community in 2025—we wish you a peaceful close to the year and a joyful start to 2026!

Image ID: A red poster with white text reads: DRF Wellbeing Break, December 24 to January 4. There is a circular image of a woman raising her hands up in celebration.

12/11/2025

Yesterday was Human Rights Day and the Disability Rights Fund celebrated our partners supporting the global disability rights movement. There’s no justice or equity without inclusion, yet only 4% of all human rights funding goes to disabilityrights. Help organizations of persons with disabilities turn bold ideas into systemic solutions by making a gift today: https://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/donate/

Image ID: Four Nepali women smiling

12/10/2025

On this Human Rights Day, we want to say an enormous thank you. Thank you for making sure that disability rights are included in human rights, and for joining us in this fight.

To the activists—thank you for your leadership, your courage, your wisdom, and your tenacity.

To our grantmaking committee advisors and Board members—thank you for your deep participation and care that moved over $5,000,000 this year.

To our partners in disability and feminist movements—thank you for prioritizing intersectional inclusion, deepening collaboration, and pooling knowledge and resources to open more space for activist participation.

To the donors investing in disability rights—thank you for moving money to invest in disabled leadership within and across movements, and encouraging your peers to step up to provide more and better resources for this work, too.

To the people learning from and amplifying our work—thank you for growing your own understanding and bringing visibility to the historically undervalued and unseen labor of disabled leaders.

The global disability rights movement is stronger because you’re a part of it.

Today, we are celebrating you.

Dear Friends, On this Human Rights Day, we want to say an enormous thank you. Thank you for making sure that disability rights are included in human rights, and for joining us in this fight. To the activists—thank you for your leadership, your courage, your wisdom, and your tenacity. To our grantm...