Department for Communities: Access and Inclusion Grants

Overview

The Access and Inclusion Grants programme is provided by the Northern Ireland Executive's Department for Communities (DfC) and administered by Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC).

Objectives of Fund

The programme provides capital grant funding, through local councils and Northern Ireland Museums Council, aimed at promoting a more inclusive society by enabling disabled people to participate more fully in arts, cultural and active recreation activities.

The key objectives of the Department for Communities’ Access and Inclusion Programme are to:

Improve access to arts, culture and active recreation venues across NI for people with disabilities.
Make arts, cultural and active recreation venues more inclusive across society.
Increase participation in arts, culture and active recreation activities by people with disabilities.

Funding Level

Grants of up to £30,000 are available, to fund up to 90% of total project costs.

Applicants are required to contribute at least 10% of their total project costs from other sources.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from local arts, culture and active recreation venues in Northern Ireland which are either:

A museum accredited by Northern Ireland Museums Council.
A local authority-owned venue where the council is providing Access and Inclusion programme support directly. Interested parties should contact their local council to confirm their eligibility and the support available.

The following criteria apply:

There must be a demonstrable need for the project supported by evidence of consultation with and/or input from individuals with disabilities or the disability sector.
An accessibility audit must be completed and attached to each application for a council-owned venue.
Whilst an accessibility audit is not essential for an application from an accredited museum, the project must have the endorsement of Northern Ireland Museums Council.
If the applicant is a community or voluntary organisation, it must have an agreed constitution which includes arts, culture (including leisure) or heritage as a primary objective of the body.

The programme is particularly keen to welcome applications for Changing Places facilities, accessible equipment for play parks and projects that will impact positively on sustainability and climate change.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding can support the following types of projects and costs:

Projects that improve and enhance physical access to and within arts, culture and active recreation venues

Changing Places toilet facilities.*
Enhanced accessibility of play facilities, including purchase of accessible play equipment.
Sensory rooms and gardens.
Automated or power assisted doors.
Submersible platform lifts which provide dignified access to swimming pools.
Provision of disabled parking bays and setting down points, in excess of the requirements of building regulations.
New or replacement accessible lifts (excluding platform lifts**) in facilities owned by voluntary organisations or charitable organisations.
Enhanced accessible internal circulation.
New or enhanced accessible sanitary provision (toilets, changing and showers).
Improved accessible signage and wayfinding schemes.
Provision of accessible stages.
Provision of accessible dressing rooms.
Accessible pathways and walking trails (including sensory trails) - applicants must demonstrate that these are disability specific and indicate how usage by disabled people will be measured.
New or enhanced resting places and inclusive seating in parks, walking trails and outdoor places.
Enhancements to cycling trails to facilitate inclusive cycles.
The replacement of inaccessible gates and stiles with accessible solutions.
Accessible angling stands.
Accessible allotments for people with disabilities.
New accessible pontoons and jetties to facilitate access to the water.

Projects that make arts, culture and active recreation venues more inclusive

Enhanced accessible exhibit stands and displays designed to improve the experience of disabled people, eg they improve viewing or provide information in alternative formats using large text, braille, subtitles or audio description.
Designated 'spending' facilities for assistance dogs.
Enhanced lighting systems which will improve the experience of disabled people.
New hearing enhancement systems that will help people with hearing loss hear more clearly, eg induction loops and infrared sound systems.
Accessible accommodation pods.
Adapted mobility scooters and accessible vehicles which enable disabled people to access parks, forest parks and outdoor places.
Adapted/inclusive cycles which enable disabled people to access cycle paths and trails.
Inclusive cycling pods to facilitate the storage and use of adapted/inclusive cycles in parks, cycle paths and outdoor places.

Projects that use creative or innovative equipment, methods or adaptations to make a venue and the activities taking place there more inclusive

Digital and tech-based solutions to barriers to access for people with a disability.
Digital venue navigation systems.

Projects that involve collaborative working or sharing of resources

Projects and activities that take place across two or more council areas.

Notes

All grant recipients will be required to observe the current procurement requirements for construction works and purchase of goods and services as outlined by the Department of Finance’s Procurement Policy and Guidance (DoF Procurement policy and guidance).
Additionality – Public money spent on a project must be additional, which means that it has to be spent:
- to allow something to happen that would not otherwise take place;
- to help something happen sooner than it would otherwise happen; or
- to improve the quality of an existing project or service.
The applicant must have a clear plan of how the project will be sustained at the end of the funding period.
The Department must be satisfied that the applicant can demonstrate an acceptable level of control over any essential land or buildings.
The applicant must be able to demonstrate that they have appropriate financial control arrangements, structures and procedures in place to effectively manage any funding awarded by the Department.
The applicant must be able to demonstrate a commitment that the asset owner will commit to ensure that any consequential resource / staff are available to make use of the investment.

* Changing Places toilets are designed to meet the needs of people with high levels of impairment who cannot be accommodated by standard accessible toilets. They are much larger than standard accessible toilets and include a height adjustable adult-sized changing bench and a tracking hoist system or mobile hoist.

** As the majority of disabled people find using platform lifts difficult and undignified they should only be installed in exceptionable circumstances where a professional access consultant has advised there is no reasonable alternative access solution.

Track grant Notes