World Institute on Disability

Help Build the Global D20: Disability Leadership at the Center of Global Decision-Making During the 2026 U.S. G20 host year, disability leaders in the United States are coming together with global allies to help build a stronger, more permanent Disability 20 (D20)—a disability-led global engagement effort focused on ensuring people with disabilities help shape the economic, political, and social priorities that impact our world. The United States may be the 2026 G20 host nation. But disability leadership does not depend on invitation. The D20 exists because disabled people, our organizations, and our global allies know that decisions shaping economies, innovation, resilience, labor, health, technology, climate action, humanitarian response, and sustainable development must include the leadership of the people and communities most affected. This is bigger than one country. This is bigger than one summit. This is bigger than one year. This is about building durable global infrastructure that can be handed forward from G20 host country to G20 host country—helping ensure disability-led leadership remains strong, organized, and influential for years to come. In 2026, this work is especially urgent. Disability leaders across the U.S. and around the world are working together to strengthen the D20, elevate disability-led policy recommendations to G20 leaders, and continue building momentum toward formal recognition as a permanent G20 Engagement Group. At the same time, disability leaders from around the world will gather in New York for the United Nations Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), marking the 20th anniversary of this landmark global commitment to disability rights. In this pivotal moment, the D20 will convene a major side event focused on aligning G20 priorities with the CRPD and the Sustainable Development Goals—helping ensure disability leadership is reflected in both global rights frameworks and global economic priorities. But this work cannot happen without support. The disability leaders and allies driving this effort are contributing their time, expertise, and lived experience without compensation. Travel, accessibility, logistics, communications, and coordination all require resources to ensure this work remains truly global, disability-led, and inclusive. Your donation will help support: • Accessible global D20 coordination and weekly steering committee work • Disability-led listening sessions and policy development • Travel and accessible transportation for D20 delegates • Accessibility services, including captioning, sign language interpretation, translation, and accommodations (while this is always our priority, thanks to a very generous donor, this is no longer our greatest need) • Accessible event space and logistics for 2026 D20 events • Stipends and support for disabled leaders, speakers, and participants • Sustaining disability-led participation throughout 2026 and beyond • Digital and operational infrastructure and resources that can be handed forward to future G20 host countries, beginning with a formal handoff from the US-hosted 2026 disability community to the 2027 host, the United Kingdom The G20 influences the majority of the global economy and decisions affecting billions of lives. Yet 1.3 billion people with disabilities worldwide remain too often underrepresented in decisions of this scale. That must change. Disability leadership belongs at the center of global decision-making—not on its margins. This is about ensuring disability leadership becomes a permanent force in shaping the global economy, innovation, resilience, and the future of our world—because when the people and communities most affected are closer to power, decision-making, and resources, stronger communities and systems emerge, the whole community benefits, and no one is left behind. Whether you donate, share, or help amplify this effort, you are helping ensure disability leadership helps shape the future. Nothing without us. Ever again.