The Global Disability Summit (GDS) is a unique global mechanism that improves the lives of persons with disabilities, especially from the global South. It was created in 2017 to convene global, regional, and national stakeholders that share the same goal and vision for disability inclusive development and humanitarian action.
The Summits aim to close the gap between two often disconnected areas: disability inclusion and development cooperation. GDS is more than just a two-day event held every three years—it is a mechanism involving continuous advocacy with global disability development stakeholders and the mobilization of the disability rights movement and its allies.