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Welcome!

IGF-DCAD is the Internet Governance Forum Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability.

If you would like to join IGF-DCAD, please fill out this form.

You can read some of the philosophy behind IGF-DCAD in Dr. Muhammad Shabbir Awan‘s essay ‘Diversity and Inclusion – Moving Beyond Tokenism: Why Disability Inclusion in IGF Leadership is Critical for a Digital Future‘

Accessibility Guidelines

In February 2025, IGF-DCAD has issued updated ‘Accessibility Guidelines‘ for IGF meetings. BS / EN / ES / FR / IT / PT translations are available. Your feedback is welcomed.

A message from Vint Cerf

Dr. Vinton Cerf, Chairman of the the Leadership Panel of the Internet Governance Forum, talks about accessibility.

Margins to Mainstream: Comments on the WSIS+20 Elements Paper

On 20 June 2025, the WSIS+20 Elements Paper was published as part of the WSIS+20 review process, outlining thematic priorities intended to guide negotiations ahead of the WSIS+20 High-Level Meeting in December 2025 and to inform the drafting of the forthcoming Zero Draft, which will consolidate stakeholder input into actionable proposals.

The position of IGF-DCAD (Internet Governance Forum — Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability) on the paper is that despite decades of advocacy, the persistent digital divide facing persons with disabilities is only mentioned tangentially throughout the WSIS+20 Elements Paper. Given that over 1.5 billion people globally live with disabilities, there must be a stronger, explicit commitment to digital accessibility woven into every thematic area, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, inclusion must be explicitly defined to encompass accessibility for persons with disabilities as a non-negotiable component of people-centred development, recognizing that people with lived experience of disability bring essential insights and expertise to digital governance.

Please read Dr. Muhammad Shabbir’s full comments.

DCAD Annual General Meeting 2025

Date / Time : Thursday June 26, 2025 – 16:45-17:45 CEST (14:45-15:45 UTC)
Place: Leadership room 7 @ IGF2025, Lillestrom, Norway
Remote Access: ZOOM | REAL TIME TEXT | ADD TO CALENDAR

AGENDA

1. Welcome and introduction
2. Annual report
3. ⁠Discussion on DCAD accessibility guidelines and translation in different languages
4. ⁠IGF 2025 accessibility updates and discussion on maintaining and advancing accessibility
5. ⁠Introduction of DCAD 2025 fellows
6. ⁠Any other business (AOB)

Chairs: Dr. Muhammad Shabbir | Judith Hellerstein

DCAD IGF 2025 Fellows

In-Person Fellows

Ngwa Jolenta Rose Afanwi
Cameroon)

Sarah Kekeli Akunor
(Ghana)

Remote Participation Fellows

Emmanuel Oruk
(Uganda)

Raynom Pitakaka
(Solomon Islands)

We are deeply grateful to Vint Cerf and Google LLC for their generous support for the 2025 Fellowship Program.

DCAD IGF 2025 Activities

Wednesday June 25, 2025 09:00-10:15 CEST (07:00-11:30 UTC) – DC Main Session – Dynamic Coalitions in service of Internet Governance: Success stories from the past and for the future of the IGF

Speakers: Dr. Muhammad Shabbir | Moderator: Judith Hellerstein
SCHEDULE | REAL TIME TEXT

Wednesday June 25, 2025 15:45-17:00 CEST (13:45-15:00 UTC) – WS #69 Beyond Tokenism: Disability-Inclusive Leadership in IG

Thursday June 26, 2025 14:15-15:30 CEST (12:15-13:30 UTC) – Dynamic Coalition Session: Capacity Building as a fundamental human right and requirement

Speaker: Dr. Muhammad Shabbir | Moderator: Judith Hellerstein
SCHEDULE | REAL TIME TEXT

Contact

We would love to hear from you! You can reach us at info@igf-dcad.org or via our contact form.

Judith Hellerstein

Dr. Muhammad Shabbir

DCAD Coordinators