-For Immediate Release-

Vancouver, BC – May 29, 2024

As part of this year’s AccessAbility Week, taking place May 26^th to June 1^st, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) has announced that the funding for the Accessibility Projects Grants has been renewed by the Province.

The Accessibility Projects Grants were first launched in 2018 to commemorate BC’s first AccessAbility Week, and since that time, over 80 projects have been funded throughout British Columbia. Each year, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction has provided $450,000 to DABC to distribute as community grants to improve and promote accessibility and inclusion in the province.

“To be an accessible and inclusive province, we must integrate accessibility into all aspects of our lives,” said Susie Chant, Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility. “As we celebrate AccessAbility Week, I am especially grateful for our work with trusted partners like Disability Alliance BC to remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities.”

Organizations may apply for up to $40,000 for year-long community engagement projects that will support lasting change for the more than 900,000 people (24.7% of population over age 15)[1] 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.

 “We’re really excited that the grants have been funded again”, said Danielle Gauld, Coordinator of the grants. “We’ve seen them support a wide range of powerful projects around the province that have had deep impacts on the lives of people with disabilities, and we are so glad this will continue into the future. We can’t wait to see who applies this year!”

Applications will open on Friday August 2^nd and close on Friday September 13th, 2024 at 12pm 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 2025.

To apply:

• 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 2018 for a grant and did their project in 2019, they can reapply in 2023 to do a project in 2024).

To learn more about the grants and organizations that have received funding in the past, please visit: Accessibility Projects Grants | DABC (disabilityalliancebc.org).

Media Contacts:
Helaine Boyd
Executive Director
helaine@dabc.ca

Download a copy of the press release here: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/APG-Press-Release-May-29th-2024-FINAL.pdf

[1]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 (MSDPR) to distribute funding to community based “Accessibility Projects” beginning in 2018. A total of $450,000 is available for one-time only grants to BC-based not-for-profit organizations of between $10,000-$40,000.

We will be accepting Accessibility Project Grant 2022 proposal submissions starting on Monday, August 15th. Information and application documents can be found at: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/program/accessibility-projects/.

Accessibility Projects must focus on at least 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.

Applications must be received by 12:00 pm (Noon) on October 7th, 2022. Late applications will not be accepted. Funding will be distributed to successful projects by January 15, 2023.

We will host online sessions during the application period where you will be invited to learn about the application process and ask questions. These will happen online on Tuesday Sept 27th from 11:30am-12:30pm and Monday Oct 3rd from 1:00pm-2:00pm Pacific Time. To be notified of any date or time changes and how to participate, please sign up for the Disability Alliance mailing list here: DABC (disabilityalliancebc.org) (enter your email where it says “Sign up for Updates”).

To participate in an online session to get support with your application or for inquiries, please email Danielle Gauld, the program coordinator, at ap@disabilityalliancebc.org. Please note: inquiries will not be taken by phone except when arranged by email.

Disability Alliance BC is pleased to announce that we are issuing a Call for Proposals (CFP) for projects that promote greater accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities in BC communities. Funding grants of $10,000 to $40,000 per project will be disbursed to a maximum of $450,000.

Proposals are due by October 4th, 2019 and funding for successful projects will be disbursed in early 2020. Please review the Call for Proposals (CFP), Application, and accompanying documents for complete details about eligible projects.

For more information and to access the forms, please click here.