How to fund your accessibility projects: Webinar summary
Overview
Untapped Accessibility and Easy Surf co-hosted a panel discussion with funders of accessibility-focused projects. Panelists discussed available funding streams and helpful tips for submitting applications.
Panelists included:
- Helaine Boyd, Executive Director of the Disability Alliance of British Columbia (DABC)
- Angela Morin, Manager of Trail Infrastructure and Funding at Trans Canada Trail
- Karolina Lindberg, Senior Coordinator of Special Initiatives at the Rick Hansen Foundation
- Vishal Jain, Associate Executive Director of Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC)
- Mike Conroy, Director of Granting at the Vancouver Foundation
The panel was moderated by Trish Kelly, Managing Director of Untapped Accessibility, and Noah Senecal-Junkeer, co-founder of Easy Surf.
Watch the webinar recording
How are you funding accessibility in 2026?
Helaine Boyd – DABC
Helaine shared that DABC has two funding streams:
- Accessibility Projects Grant – provides up to $40,000 to non-profits for accessibility projects.
- Accessible Organizations Project – provides funding to support organizations in meeting the legal requirements of the Accessible BC Act.
A key component of both granting programs is meaningful participation of people with disabilities. In alignment with the principle “Nothing Without Us”, the funding awards projects with active, ongoing, and diverse involvement of the disability community throughout the project’s lifecycle.
She further clarified key points:
- Projects should be designed with disabled people, not for them. There should be leadership and input from those with varied lived experiences across different disability types.
- Participation should be broad and non-tokenistic, recognizing that no single person can represent all disability perspectives.
- Meaningful participation includes ongoing evaluation and feedback during implementation, with flexibility to adjust the project if accessibility or inclusion goals are not being met.
To accomplish all this, Helaine stressed the importance of ensuring the environment, processes, and tools within the project are accessible, so people with disabilities can contribute fully and effectively.
Angela Morin – Trans Canada Trail
Angela discussed the Trail Catalyst Fund, which includes the Trails for All Initiative. This initiative supports projects that reduce barriers and improve equitable access for disabled people across the national trail network. More specifically, it funds accessible trail improvements across locally managed trail sections in every province and territory, including BC.
She emphasized these key points:
- Funding supports projects that improve how people arrive at, move through, and use amenities on the trail.
- Eligible projects include accessible infrastructure and upgrades such as seating, signage, surfacing, amenities, design work, and contracted labor.
- Grants can cover 35–100% of eligible costs, up to $60,000 per project per year, with most funded projects averaging about $16,000, making smaller, achievable improvements feasible.
- Projects can be phased over two years, and applications are open year-round, including from small organizations and first-time applicants.
The funding is also supported by practical tools and resources, including:
- All Person Trail Guidelines for accessible design best practices.
- An Inclusive Trail Self-Assessment Tool to identify and prioritize barriers.
- Accessibility mapping and lived-experience trail audits to guide improvements and future funding requests.
Karolina Lindberg – Rick Hansen Foundation
Karolina highlighted the Barrier Buster Grants Program, which launched December 3, 2025. It consists of 40 grants of up to $40,000 to remove physical accessibility barriers in public spaces across Canada.
This funding supports permanent accessibility infrastructure improvements, including:
- Accessible entrances
- Ramps
- Widened doorways
- Accessible washrooms
- Elevators
- Signage
- Accessible playgrounds
- Trail upgrades
- Marine access features
The program is open nationwide to registered charities, qualified donees, and incorporated nonprofit organizations. Applications are now open and will close March 15, 2026.
Vishal Jain – SPARC BC
Vishal described SPARC BC’s Local Community Accessibility Grant Program that’s offered in partnership with the province. It provides local governments with one-time grants of up to $25,000 to support projects in their accessibility plans.
This program has two streams:
- Project implementation stream — funding for a defined project that’s ready to proceed.
- Capacity support stream — funding for local governments that are unsure where to begin. Grantees in this stream work with SPARC BC to identify needs, set priorities, and define a focus area.
In 2026, the focus is on funding work that turns accessibility planning into practical action.
Mike Conroy – Vancouver Foundation
Mike highlighted the Transforming Systems Grants. These support organizations that are working to address the root causes of complex issues like inequality, accessibility, poverty, or housing challenges. The goal is systemic change, which he described as shifting policies, practices, resource flows, power dynamics, relationships, and mental models that keep problems in place.
This funding is open to registered charities, qualified donees, and BC nonprofit organizations. It provides up to $100,000 per year for up to 3 years. The grants can cover staff, capacity building, relationship-building, community support, and some administrative costs.
Like the DABC funding programs, a major requirement of the Transforming Systems Grants is meaningful involvement of those most impacted by the issue. The grants also prioritize projects that aim for lasting, system-level impact.
When asked how to tell if a project meets these criteria, Mike suggested asking yourself systems thinking questions, like:
- Why hasn’t this issue already been addressed?
- How did the system get this way, and what are its root causes?
- What societal benefits or intended effects does the system produce?
- What are the unintended consequences?
- What would be difficult or uncomfortable about changing it?
- Who benefits from the current system, and who is disadvantaged?
- Who might resist change, and where are opportunities for collaboration?
Trends in accessibility funding
Angela Morin from Trans Canada Trail also shared some insight into the types of projects being funded. Themes include:
- A focus on system-wide, user-journey approaches, instead of singular upgrades like ramps or washrooms.
- Embedding accessible design into larger infrastructure, climate, and community safety work.
- A strong focus on participation, inclusion, and belonging through adaptive equipment and programming.
Overall, projects are becoming more integrated, people-centered, and outcomes-focused.
How can we help?
Untapped Accessibility and Easy Surf can support grant-funded projects – especially those requiring meaningful engagement and collaboration with the disability community.
Some examples of projects include:
- Small ($2,000-$3,000)
- Easy Surf: Integrating accessibility features from a website into a PDF report.
- Untapped Accessibility: Foundations of accessibility training for staff.
- Medium ($3,000-$10,000):
- Easy Surf: Website accessibility audit with ranked recommendations and guidance to help developers fix issues.
- Untapped Accessibility: Accessibility Think Tank that engages disabled consultants with lived experience and professional expertise to guide policy, plan, or product development.
- Large ($15,000-$40,000)
- Easy Surf: Full website re-build for accessibility.
- Untapped Accessibility: Accessibility-focused e-learning course build.
If you’re planning to apply for an accessibility grant, we can help in the following ways:
- Help you brainstorm your grant concept.
- Provide a project proposal and budget for any items you’d like our help with.
- We can write the grant for you.
Reach out to learn more!