ASIA AND PACIFIC DISABILITY FORUM

CONFERENCE 2025

Theme

“Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: Towards an Inclusive and Accessible Asia-Pacific for Persons with Disabilities.”

WELCOME TO APDF CONFERENCE 2025

The Asia and Pacific Disability Forum (APDF) is a regional alliance of civil society organizations dedicated to advancing the rights, inclusion, and full participation of persons with disabilities across the Asia-Pacific, comprising over 60 national and international Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) from 20 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Building on this mission, APDF serves as a vital regional platform that brings together disability organizations, governments, and international partners to facilitate knowledge exchange, foster partnerships, and monitor the implementation of global and regional frameworks, including the CRPD, the SDGs, and the Jakarta Declaration (2023–2032).

This year’s APDF Conference will be held in Ulsan, South Korea, from October 29 to 31, 2025, in conjunction with the APEC Summit 2025 and the Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities (GITC), drawing approximately 100 participants from across the region.

The conference aims to provide a dynamic forum for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and partnership-building to advance the rights, inclusion, and empowerment of persons with disabilities across the Asia-Pacific. It seeks to promote innovative solutions, influence policy development, and strengthen regional collaboration to accelerate the realization of an inclusive and accessible society for all persons with disabilities.

The theme for 2025 is “Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: Towards an Inclusive and Accessible Asia-Pacific for Persons with Disabilities.”
Its subthemes are:
• Breaking Barriers –Addressing systemic, social, and physical barriers that hinder the full participation of persons   with disabilities
• Building Futures – Promoting long-term strategies for empowerment, education, employment independent living, technical innovation
• Inclusivity and Accessibility – Ensuring that societies, infrastructures, and policies are designed to include and accommodate persons with disabilities

The conference will provide a timely opportunity to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration and reaffirm the region’s collective commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind.