Disability Rights International
Budget
€1,004,423
EP Access
0
accredited persons
Staff
5
2.5 FTE
EU Grants
None
Mission & Goals
DRI was founded in 1993 to fight for the human rights of children and adults with disabilities placed in orphanages, psychiatric facilities, and other institutions, segregated from society throughout the world. To achieve this goal, we sought recognition of the same rights guaranteed to others under international law. Over two decades, DRI reports and media campaigns brought unprecedented attention to violence, torture, and other egregious abuses we documented. Our work saved the lives of thousands of children and adults tied to cribs, locked in cages, denied care, and languishing in terrible conditions. DRI helped draft the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The CRPD fulfills one of our founding goals – the recognition of disability rights as human rights – and we are proud to have helped start the international disability rights movement. DRI is one of few organizations of people with disabilities (OPD)dedicated specifically to protecting chi (...)
EU Legislative Interests
DRI learned early on the need to support local activists to bring about sustainable change in their countries. Existing advocacy groups entirely overlooked this population – and people with disabilities rarely had the funding and support to advocate for their own rights. Thus, DRI set to the task of creating new organizations in the countries we investigated. DRI has trained and spun off advocacy groups run by people with disabilities, or families of children with disabilities, in eight countries (Hungary, Kosovo, Republic of Georgia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Mexico). We trained many more mainstream human rights organizations who established their first disability rights projects. DRI has served as a consultant and expert to UNICEF, WHO, the US National Council on Disability (NCD), the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. EU legislative proposals and policies targeted: - MFF regulations - EU Negotiation process with Serbia and Ukraine - Partnership agreements with EU member states tackling deinstitutionalization and pre-accession Action plans of Ukraine, in particular negotiation on Chapter 23 - Justice and fundamental rights - EU child guarantee - EU Disability Strategy
Communication Activities
DRI participated in civil society consultations regarding new MFF regulations and contributed to human rights reports on Serbia and Ukraine. DRI also engaged in dialogue with DG Home and DG Region on situation of children in Ukrainian institutions as well as DG Employment and European Equality Commissioner on group homes in Bulgaria. DRI organized events at the European Parliament with ENIL and Validity Foundation on group homes for persons with disabilities in Bulgaria. Findings and recommendations regarding EU policies are included in DRI's reports available at www.driadvocacy.org
Interests Represented
Does not represent commercial interests
Member Of
Not member of any other body
Organisation Members
DRI has an affiliate in Serbia - Mental Disability Rights Initiative-Serbia (www.mdri-s.org) and an affiliate in Ukraine - Disability Rights International-Ukraine (https://www.facebook.com/dri.ukraine)
Additional Information
Total foundation funds: 854136.92 All grants exceeding 10,000 EUR are listed above Individual contributions: 106068.54 (Each not exceeding 10,000 EUR)
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.