The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities at Rhode Island College is currently soliciting applications from organizations and businesses providing social, recreational, leisure and cultural activities in Rhode Island communities for "Access for All Abilities" (AAA) Mini-Grants.
The mission of the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities is to promote membership of individuals with disabilities in school, work and community. Partners in this mini-grant initiative include Accessible Rhode Island and VSA Arts of Rhode Island.
The Sherlock Center, Rhode Island's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), receives funding for this initiative through the United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Developmental Disabilities. The Sherlock Center has $10,000 to award up to four grants in 2010. Organizations may apply for up to $2500.
The purpose of this grant program is to:
Increase access (physical, financial, programmatic) for people with various disabilities to existing social, leisure, recreational and cultural activities in the community.
Increase participation of people with disabilities alongside people without disabilities in scheduled activities.
Support Rhode Island leisure organizations and businesses in expanding their customer base to include more people with disabilities.
Eligibility - AAA Grant applicants must be businesses and organizations offering social, leisure, recreational, and/or cultural activities to the general public in Rhode island. non-profit organizations and business, city, or town government agencies are welcome to apply.
Review Criteria
A panel of representatives from the Sherlock Center, Accessible Rhode Island and VSA Arts of Rhode Island, including individuals with disabilities, will evaluate applications according to the following criteria:
Degree to which proposal will increase long-term accessibility for people with disabilities to leisure activities.
Degree to which proposal will result in increased integration of people with disabilities into community activities alongside people without disabilities.
Degree to which proposed strategies or projects have a long term impact or demonstrate sustainability.
Presence of an effective plan for outreach to people with disabilities which includes marketing strategies promoting the increased accessibility. Applicant may use a portion of the funds requested for outreach.
Degree to which proposal meets a demonstrated or unmet need.
Creative and innovative ideas for combining grant funds with other existing resources for maximum impact
Examples of supportable projects include: purchase or development of specialized equipment or product to enhance accessibility; sensitivity or specific skill training for employees; modifications to an existing program to accommodate people with disabilities; seed money for a larger project or strategic planning. These are just a few suggestions. We encourage innovative thinking!
AAA grants will not fund:
Development of a disability-only program (e.g., "karate for kids with autism," "dance classes for adults with disabilities," "hiking for the visually impaired," etc.)
Proposals from entities whose primary client base is already people with disabilities
A service or product which will only benefit a single individual (e.g., equipment needing to be custom fit for a particular person, funding a one-on-one assistant, etc)
We encourage submission using the online version of the application. If that is not an option, you are welcome to use the print version and submit by fax or US Mail.
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