The National Disability Knowledge Forum is a national Inuit-led organization that is located in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Through research, knowledge sharing, and meaningful engagement with communities, the Forum works to strengthen disability knowledge and ensure Inuit perspectives are represented in disability policy, legislation, research, and systems development across Canada.
National policies, programs, research agendas, and legislative initiatives that impact Inuit communities are often developed without meaningful Inuit involvement from the outset. While Inuit may be consulted after decisions have begun to take shape, there are limited opportunities for Inuit perspectives, lived experiences, and ways of knowing to help inform those conversations from the beginning.
The Forum was created to help address this gap.
Mission statement
The National Disability Knowledge Forum advances community-driven disability research, knowledge exchange, and policy development that centers northern realities, Inuit societal values, and lived experience.
Through collaborative research and meaningful engagement with communities, the Forum works to strengthen disability knowledge and ensure that Inuit perspectives are represented in national disability conversations.
We believe that lived experience, community knowledge, and Inuit ways of knowing are essential sources of expertise. By bringing together communities, researchers, policymakers, governments, and organizations, we help ensure disability research and policy are informed by the people most affected by them.
Inuit Nunangat and national reach
The National Disability Knowledge Forum serves Inuit communities across Inuit Nunangat, including Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.
While the Forum is rooted in Inuit experiences and Inuit societal values, its work contributes to disability conversations across Canada. The realities facing Inuit communities offer important insights into accessibility, inclusion, community wellbeing, and disability justice that can strengthen policy and practice nationally.
The Forum works to ensure that Inuit priorities, knowledge, and lived experiences are represented in disability research, policy development, legislation, and decision-making processes at local, regional, territorial, and national levels.
Featured research
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Shared Stories: Gender-Based Violence, Disability, and Lived Experience in Nunavut
This research explores the experiences of Inuit women and girls affected by gender-based violence. Grounded in community perspectives and lived experience, the report examines barriers, supports, and opportunities for strengthening safety, wellbeing, and healing while contributing to broader conversations about violence prevention and community-led responses.
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Accessibility Barriers in Nunavut
This report examines accessibility barriers experienced by Nunavummiut across multiple areas of daily life, including transportation, housing, employment, education, communication, and access to services. The findings contribute to a growing understanding of accessibility within Northern and remote contexts and provide recommendations for improving accessibility across Nunavut.
News & updates
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News
Inuit perspectives must shape disability policies and research from the beginning. NDKF is creating more opportunities for Inuit…
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News
NDKF grew from years of NDMS research and community engagement, creating a national space where Inuit knowledge and…
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News
September 2025 marked the official launch of the National Disability Knowledge Forum, a new national Inuit-led organization dedicated…
Current priorities
As a newly established national organization, the Forum is focused on several priority areas:
- Strengthening Inuit-led disability research and knowledge development
- Advancing understanding of disability within Inuit contexts
- Supporting ethical engagement between researchers and Inuit communities
- Increasing the representation of Inuit perspectives in national disability policy discussions
These priorities will continue to evolve through engagement with communities, people with lived experience, Elders, researchers, and partners across Inuit Nunangat.