Ethiopian Center For Disability And Development (ECDD)

In 2005 several individuals in Ethiopia came together to discuss how to address the challenge of more effectively meeting the needs of persons with disabilities in Ethiopia, and ensuring their access to mainstream service delivery as well as development programs. They decided to create a new type of Ethiopian organization, one that would promote and facilitate disability inclusion, but not by providing disability or rehabilitation services to individuals. They decided to create an organization that would reflect, in its structure and programs, certain core values: majority governance by persons with disabilities and family members, gender equality, and positive bias (affirmative action) in the employment of staff. Finally, rather than create a membership organization of persons with disabilities, they decided to create an association composed of prominent individuals, both professionals with and without disabilities, 50% women, reflecting different aspects of society.