Disability Debrief Annual Report 2024-2025
This report covers the period from April 2024 to end of March 2025. Last updated 20 May 2025.
A platform for global disability stories
Over the last year, Disability Debrief has become a platform for disability stories around the world, and for exclusive reporting on critical challenges facing international work on disability rights.
In April 2024, the Debrief was a weekly newsletter written mostly by one person. It had growing attention from the international disability community for its independent voice.
In the year since then, the Debrief published its first investigative reporting, writing from fourteen authors (from nine countries) and established a new visual component to its work. And it is increasingly relied upon by policy-makers, academics, and activists leading on disability issues around the world.
And it did all of this on an annual budget of less than £100,000.
For the narrative that accompanies this report, see All Hands Together.
If you're comfortable to support financially, please contribute:
- One-off support of any amount.
- Subscribing, monthly at £5, £10 or £20, or annually at a discount.
See also information on subscribing as an organisation or, for amounts of $1,000 more, on making that as a charitable donation in the US.
Contents
“A gem in global disability journalism”
Here is what readers got from the Debrief in the past 12 months:
“A gem in global disability journalism.”
Dani Izzie, disability advocate
“Strong and unflinching storytelling.”
Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability
“The Debrief is invaluable in my teaching, writing, and activism.”
Arthur Blaser, Chapman University
“Peter is providing a critical service to the global disability movement.”
Steven Allen, Validity Foundation
“It's my top source for disability news around the world.”
Nu, Revival Disability India
Back to contents.
Highlights
This year the Debrief was characterised by:
Exclusive reporting and an independent voice. The Debrief's exclusive reporting on international disability work provided balanced investigative views on the most critical issues facing international disability work, including the:
- The financial and governance crisis at the International Disability Alliance, the organisation responsible for representing disabled people globally;
- Unequal partnerships with grassroots organisations; and
- Impacts of US aid cuts on disabled people.
Unique storytelling and new narratives of disability. The Debrief shared stories completely overlooked by mainstream media, told in the voice and experiences of disabled people themselves. It uses different creative forms, including poetry and art, to stretch and redefine disability narratives. Contributions include:
- The other side of the glass wall, Lea Labaki writing from Belgium on the loneliness of life in community.
- This is war, IK Ero writing on growing up with albinism in Nigeria and global efforts to fight back against violence towards people with albinism.
- Finding my fairy-tale, Tanzila Khan writing from Pakistan on international travels with a wheelchair.
Unparalleled range in curation of disability news. The Debrief Library now curates over 6,000 links from 168 countries. This is a 50% increase in links and a deliberate growth in range of geographies from last year.
A steady growth in a highly-engaged audience. As demonstrated through these statistics:
- A 36% growth in newsletter list. The number of weekly recipients rose from 2,700 in April 24 to 3,700 by the end of March.
- A 20% growth in web-visitors. From April 24 to March 2025, there were 31,300 unique visitors.
- On average, 44% of newsletter subscribers interact with the newsletter each week. This is an increase from 40% in previous year.
- 11% of subscribers contribute financially as individuals or through their organisations. A slightly decrease from last year, 13%.
A new visual component to disability narratives. Bespoke illustrations provide a new dimension alongside the written word, often deliberately challenging mainstream imagery of disability. And the Debrief has also started using press photography featuring disabled people. Special thanks to Kinanty Andini and Sonaksha for regular illustrations.
Investing in the disability media ecosystem. As well as giving a venue for people to develop their skills and a platform to share their stories, the Debrief has started to invest directly in the wider ecosystem of disability media. It was able to make small grants to a combined value of £1,000 to folk making disability media from India. Further, over £600 was paid in subscriptions to disability media outlets.
Back to contents.
Making it happen
The Debrief is realised by a wide range of diverse collaborations. Peter, the Editor, works on the project full time. The contributions from writers are borne out of in-depth collaboration and editing work, nearly always investing months to produce. Likewise, the Debrief's art is based on creative responses to the material being illustrated.
Behind-the-scenes there is a growing team. This team guides the Debrief's development and elevates its ability to intervene. It is made of:
- Áine Kelly-Costello has been providing editorial support for some years.
- Celestine Fraser grew her role, from shaping the voice of the Debrief, into more intense editorial support.
- Cathy Sarisky of Spectral Web Services did web development.
- A growing range of specialists give further coaching, advice or input, paid or volunteer.
The Debrief income was £91,395. This is an increase of 29% from the previous year's budget of £70,681. There were increases across all areas of Debrief income – organisational partnerships and subscriptions, as well as crowdfunding from individuals.
Income is diversified across a range of organisations and individuals. The largest single funder made up 20% of the total budget. Here were the three largest funders and the percentage of the annual budget they made up:
- Sightsavers, 20%
- Ford Foundation, 17%
- K. Li, 10%
Debrief expenses were also £91,395. 70% of that was for the editor's full-time work. 13% was invested in original reporting and art. During this period, the starting rate for articles from new contributors increased from £400 to £450.
- See also the full accounts from 2024-2025.
The grant from Ford Foundation and the donation from K. Li are received through fiscal sponsorship from Center for Inclusive Policy.
Back to contents.
Review against goals
In April 2024, Peter set goals for the year to come. Here each goal is reviewed.
“Make great content.” Not only did the Debrief publish great content this year, it also developed its ability to produce better work. Through skill development and new collaborations, it can now produce better journalism and has more creative ways to tell original stories.
“Grow connections with the Debrief community.” This is another constant in the Debrief's work, which is based on intense interaction with its community. It is Debrief readers themselves who have been the most frequent source of tips, new collaborations, and insights that shape the world.
“Double the investment in contributors”. This goal was missed: there was only a 44% increase in the investment in contributors. However the intensity and frequency of these collaborations is building and investment will grow correspondingly.
“Extend curation of disability news to 90% of countries”. This goal was almost achieved: the Debrief library now curates disability news from 168 of the 193 UN member countries (87%). This is an increase from 77% in the year before.
“Build partnerships and fundraising”. Achieved. As noted, there was a 29% increase in fundraising, and this comes from a wider base of contributing organisations.
“Support the wider ecosystem of disability media”. As noted, initial support given through mini-grants and subscriptions. That investment makes up 1.8% of the Debrief's budget.
Back to contents.