Today—on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities—DABC has issued a press release, announcing the 11 recipients of the 2025/2026 Accessibility Projects Grants. Congratulations to the successful applicants!

Download the press release or read it below.

-For Immediate Release-

Vancouver, BC – December 3, 2025

In honour of December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has announced 11 recipients of the 2025/2026 Accessibility Projects Grants. These grants are expected to support year-long projects that promote better access to cultural, recreational, emergency planning, educational and community participation opportunities for people with disabilities across the province.

This year, the Province provided $450,000 in funding, which DABC will distribute to non-profits throughout British Columbia. Since 2018, DABC has distributed over $3 million to more than 100 non-profit organizations through the Accessibility Projects Grants.

“We all want people to live dignified lives and fully participate in their communities,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.  “That’s why we are funding $450,000 to support 11 projects that will expand accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities in B.C., from creating accessible arts programs and digital literacy opportunities, to supporting youth, families, and Indigenous communities. Thanks to Disability Alliance BC for administering these grants and helping make these projects possible.”

In August 2025, organizations in B.C were invited to apply for up to $40,000 for projects that will support lasting change for the more than 900,000 people in BC[1] living with disabilities. After an extensive review process by representatives from the disability and community sectors, 11 projects were funded this year.

“It’s a joy being part of the selection process for these vital grants. The level of commitment to disability inclusion and community building shines through each application,” says Roberta McDonald, who is the Accessible Organizations Project Manager with DABC and has been on the grants review for the past two years. As a Deaf and neurodivergent accessibility professional, Roberta has devoted her career to removing barriers and building accessible communities. “I’m heartened by the incredible work towards accessibility happening across BC and can’t wait to see how these organizations contribute to making this a province where everyone can have full and equal participation at every level.”

DABC is proud to work with the Province of B.C. to remove barriers and celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities to their communities. The Accessibility Projects Grants are an important step in this direction.

A backgrounder can be found below with the list of the 2025/26 grant recipients.

Media Contact:

Helaine Boyd
Executive Director
helaine@dabc.ca

Learn More:

To learn more about Disability Alliance BC: dabc.ca

To get up to date about the Province’s work on accessibility: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/initiatives/accessibility/news

To give feedback on barriers people with disabilities face when accessing government services: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/initiatives/accessibility/feedback

Backgrounder:

DABC invited eligible organizations to apply for funding for projects that will take place in 2026. The list of grant recipients was announced today:

• ACT Autism Community Training Society – Rural, Remote First Nations Communities: $40,000 for the Decolonizing Autism & Neurodivergence: Growing Strength based Inclusive Community in Rural, Remote, First Nations in BC Project. Increasing accessibility for Autistic and neurodivergent Indigenous people by creating culturally relevant and culturally safe training and sustained support systems.
• Cridge Centre for the Family – Victoria: $40,000 for the Visible Voices Project. Initiating a trauma-informed arts initiative for women survivors of brain injury, including those affected by intimate partner violence.
• Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society – Vancouver and Coquitlam: $40,000 for the Cultivating Accessibility: Expanding SOYL for Youth with Disabilities Project. Creating dedicated, accessible employment opportunities for youth with disabilities, empowering them to participate fully in food systems and urban agriculture.
• Grunt gallery – Vancouver and Richmond: $39,650 for the Blind-Led Tours Project. Establishing a transformative program of public tours designed for non-visual engagement and a professional development program to train Blind/low-vision individuals as gallery tour guides.
• Literacy Now Cowichan – Duncan and Cowichan Valley area: $23638.50 for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project. Providing beginner level digital literacy training for adults with disabilities through small group classes and one-on one support, ensuring learners gain the foundational skills needed to navigate technology safely and confidently.
• Moms Against Racism Canada – Provincial: $40,000 for the NeuroEquity Project: Culturally Responsive Mental Health for Neurodivergent Communities. Addressing systemic barriers to timely and culturally appropriate mental health care for IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour) youth and adults with neurodevelopmental and intellectual disabilities.
• North Park Neighbourhood Association – Victoria: $40,000 for the Accessibility Champions: Civic Participation 2026 Project. Delivering accessible civic education and governance pathways for disabled residents in North Park through accessible workshops, committee participation, and cross-stakeholder training.
• Okanagan Lifetime Networks Association – Okanagan: $37252 for the (ART) LIFT – Learning Independence for Future Transitions Project. Empowering individuals with disabilities aged 16–29 to develop financial, career, wellness, and community skills needed for a successful transition into autonomous adulthood.
• SPACE (Stuttering, People, Arts, Community, Education) – Lower Mainland: $40,000 for the Listening Equity Project. Training service providers to create accessible communication environments for people who stutter and those with other communication disabilities.
• Urban Horse Project Society – Burnaby and Langley: $40,000 for the Building Community Wellbeing Through Horses Project. Providing new accessible learning and wellness programs with horses to diverse urban adults, seniors and youth with disabilities.
• Zajac Ranch Society – Mission: $40,000 for the Zajac Ranch for Children Weekend Respite Family Camps Project. Offering Weekend Respite Family Camps throughout the off-season, designed to provide respite support, education and community connection to families and youth with complex medical conditions.

To learn more please visit here: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/program/accessibility-projects/

[1] 24.7% of BC’s population over age 15 have a disability: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310037401&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.13

As part of the Province’s goal to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in BC, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) was selected by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR) to distribute funding to community based “Accessibility Projects” beginning in 2018. Since then, over 95 projects have been funded.

This year the grants have reopened again with a total of $450,000 available. BC-based not-for-profit organizations may apply for up to $40,000 for year-long community engagement projects that will support lasting change for people in BC living with disability. Projects will focus on one of the following objectives:

• Accessible employment;
• Accessible emergency planning and response;
• Accessible arts, culture and tourism;
• Accessible sports and recreation;
• Accessible education and learning;
• Accessible community participation.

The deadline to submit applications is September 12^th, 2025, at 12pm Pacific Time. Successful applicants will receive funding in December 2025 in order to implement their project in January 2026.

Eligibility criteria includes:

• Projects must be focused on community engagement rather than large capital costs such as accessibility improvements to buildings and outdoor spaces.
• Eligible organizations must be not-for-profit organizations with a volunteer Board chosen by its membership, based in BC or with a base of operations in and sufficient capacity to deliver services in BC. They must operate primarily for community benefit and have services open to the public rather than restricted to their membership.
• If an organization has received a grant in the past, they can reapply 5 years after their application was submitted (for example, if an organization applied in 2020 for a grant and did their project in 2021, they can reapply in 2025 to do a project in 2026).
• Conflicts of interest with DABC must be declared on the application form to be considered on a case-by-case basis. For more information, please see our Conflict of Interest Protocol here.

For more information about eligibility please see the Call for Proposals, which can be found here: Accessibility Projects Grants | DABC (dabc.ca)

Online information sessions will occur on Thursday August 21st at 1:00pm-2:00pm and Wednesday September 3rd at 11:30am-12:30pm. At these sessions, potential applicants will be invited to learn about the application process and ask questions. Live captioning will be available. With two weeks advanced notice, ASL interpretation can be booked on request and other accessibility requests will be accommodated whenever possible.

To register for the August 21^st session, please click here.
To register for the September 3^rd session, please click here.

To learn more and download the Call for Proposals (CFP) and application forms please visit: Accessibility Projects Grants | DABC (dabc.ca). Screen reader friendly versions of the document and ASL interpretations explaining the application process are also available.

If you have any questions, please contact the Accessibility Projects Grants Coordinator at ap@dabc.ca

Download the press release here.

As part of the Province’s goal to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in BC, Disability Alliance BC was selected by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (MSDPR) to distribute funding to community-based “Accessibility Projects” beginning in 2018. Since then, over 95 projects have been funded throughout BC.

The Province has now announced that the grants will be available again in 2025/26. A total of $450,000 will be made available to BC-based not-for-profit organizations. Successful applicants will receive up to a $40,000 grant to implement a year-long project in 2026. Applications will open on August 5th.

May 25-31 is National AccessAbility Week in BC and Canada and the #NAAW2025 theme is “Breaking barriers together: Paving the way for an inclusive future.” DABC is pleased to be able to once again distribute funds that will improve access and inclusion for people with disabilities in BC.

These grants are for projects focusing on one of the following objectives to increase accessibility for people with disabilities:

• Accessible employment;
• Accessible emergency planning and response;
• Accessible arts, culture and tourism;
• Accessible sports and recreation;
• Accessible education and learning;
• Accessible community participation.

Eligibility criteria includes:

• Projects must be focused on community engagement rather than large capital costs such as accessibility improvements to buildings.
• Eligible organizations must be not-for-profit organizations with a volunteer Board chosen by its membership, based in BC or with a base of operations in and sufficient capacity to deliver services in BC. They must operate primarily for community benefit and have services open to the public rather than restricted to their membership.
• If an organization has received a grant in the past, they can reapply 5 years after their application was submitted (for example, if an organization applied in 2020 for a grant and did their project in 2021, they can reapply in 2025 to do a project in 2026).

Applications will be due on September 12th at noon Pacific Time. Granting decisions are made by a Committee of representatives from DABC and other disability and community organizations from around BC. Successful applicants will receive funding in December, and implement their accessibility project in January 2026.

To learn more about the grants please see: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/program/accessibility-projects/.

At the bottom of the page you can also click on “click here to sign up for DABC’s newsletter” and enter your email to be notified of when the Call for Proposals and applications are posted, when online information sessions will be held, and other announcements related to the grants and DABC’s work in general.

If you have any questions, please contact the Accessibility Projects Grants Coordinator at ap@dabc.ca.

Download the press release here.