Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and it continues to impact disabled people’s access to education, employment, and community. The American Association of People with Disabilities' COVID-19 & Higher Education Advocacy Program will be providing Community Grants of $500-$5,000 to groups working to address issues in higher education felt by the disability community, especially as it related to issues created or made worse due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Applications are due May 15, 2024 at 8:59pm PT/11:59pm ET.

We know higher education is a diverse and complex landscape with a lot of people working to make it more accessible for people with disabilities. We know this can look like everything from awareness campaigns, to events where Disabled people come together to celebrate disability pride, and everything in between.

The COVID-19 & Higher Education Community Grants can be used for things like:
  • Leading a campaign to create a Disability Cultural Center on your campus
  • Bringing a Disabled speaker to campus
  • Host a gathering for your Disability Affinity Group
  • Host a panel of disabled students to talk about the ongoing pandemic
  • Seed money for a scholarship
Our community grants will aim to address the following principles:
  • Principle 1: Centering the Most Impacted
  • Principle 2: Creating Inclusive Spaces
  • Principle 3: Challenging Ableism and All Forms of Oppression
  • Principle 4: Community Impact
  • Principle 5: COVID-19 Impact
Priority for funding will go to organizations, groups, or collectives led by Disabled people, for Disabled people. Groups do not need to be formally recognized but must be organized by more than one person with a disability. Visit our FAQ for more guidance.

You may submit answers to the short essay questions in video or written format. If you include a video, be sure to use a platform or app to create your video that creates automated captions (example: Zoom). Please see our Word version of this application to preview the application.

Please contact us at education@aapd.com if you have any difficulties with accessibility or creating captions for your videos.

These community grants are made possible thanks to a grant provided by the Ford Foundation.
Eligibility Requirements
  • Funds must be used during the funding period (August - December 2024)
  • There must be an individual or an organization who is identified to be receiving the funds*
  • Eligible groups may be made up of current students, staff, faculty, and/or alumni, or members representing a non-profit organization.
  • Groups that are not eligible: For-profit organizations/businesses, Individuals (unless representing a group)

*If you are an individual identified to receive funding on behalf of a group we strongly recommend you seek partnerships with a registered non-profit OR at a college campus who may be able to receive the funds to serve as a fiscal intermediary. If an individual receives the fund directly, this will be considered taxable income and if applicable, may impact benefits. If this is the only option, we recommend consulting with a financial advisor for any potential impact.

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