Ability Central Awards Grants to 12 Organizations Working with Disability Communities
$1 million awarded for healthcare training, leadership and career development, and digital access initiatives.
Oakland, California – January 9, 2024 – Ability Central has awarded more than $1 million to 12 nonprofit organizations in California working to expand communication access for Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent communities. Recipient organizations offer a diverse array of support and services to these communities. The funding priorities for this grant cycle focus on healthcare training, leadership and career development for people with disabilities within nonprofit organizations, and digital accessibility initiatives.
Eleven of the grants awarded were given to empower organizations to develop or expand their own projects and internal practices. In the 2024 cycle, Ability Central is also committing $100,000 to a joint digital accessibility project with the Institute for Exceptional Care (IEC). IEC is a national nonprofit organization working with coalitions of clinical organizations and healthcare providers to improve patient health and access for people who are disabled. Ability Central will work with IEC to develop online education solutions that empower healthcare professionals to create accessible, inclusive environments in their practice or organization.
“Thanks to our most successful grant cycle ever, we are not only supporting organizations dedicated to helping individuals who are Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent, but we’re working with our community to ensure that each grant we make brings us closer to a more inclusive and supportive society,” says Matt Cherry, director of philanthropy at Ability Central.
To be eligible for a grant from Ability Central, an organization must operate within California, and work to expand communication access for those who are Deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent. Funded projects work on communication access either through direct services or with programs supporting technology or research for these communities. Grants range from $10,000 to $100,000 with $1 million awarded annually.
To learn more about Ability Central’s grantmaking in California, visit us online.
2024 Ability Central Grant Recipients
Autism Society Inland Empire, Corona | $100,000
Improving Culturally Responsive Care for Patients with Autism and IDD
Center for Independent Living, Berkeley | $100,000
ACCELERATE & Emergency Preparedness Peer Ambassador Programs
CERV, Monterey| $75,000
Improving Healthcare Outcomes through Effective Communication
Hearts for Sight Foundation, Temple City | $27,000
Expanding Mental Health Services for the Blind
Kidpower, Santa Cruz | $100,000
Workpower Leadership Training: Skills for Safety and Success in Getting and Keeping Jobs
LightHouse for the Blind, San Francisco | $100,000
Training Healthcare Professionals in the Bay Area to Better Serve People who are Blind or DeafBlind
Mychal’s Learning Place, Hawthorne | $80,000
Mychal’s Social Enterprise Expansion
QWOCMAP, San Francisco | $80,000
Film & Freedom Academy for Sick & Disabled LBTQIA+ BIPOC
San Francisco State University, San Francisco | $100,000
YouDescribeX for Public Health: Enhancing Health-Related Video Accessibility for B/LV People
Society for the Blind, Sacramento | $61,356
Vision Forward: Leadership Development Program
World Institute on Disability, Berkeley | $84,960
Virtual Healthcare Training Series for person-centered approach
You can read full project descriptions here.
Headquartered in Oakland, California, Ability Central is the philanthropic division of the California Communication Access Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003. Ability Central is committed to serving as an educator, convener, and resource working to expand communication and information access for individuals who are Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent and communities of support. Ability Central also offers technical support to other nonprofits working to help people with disabilities and provides online information and resources for people with questions about disabilities and communication access. Since 2010, Ability Central has granted more than $13.5 million to 200+ projects, serving more than half a million people with disabilities.
Contact: Grant Barringer, Communications Manager
gbarringer@abilitycentral.org