2025–2026 Access: An Accommodations Program for Organizations

The 2025–2026 Access: An Accommodations Program for Organizations, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts through Creative West’s Partnership Agreement, supports current Creative West grantee organizations committed to making arts and cultural programming more accessible to people with disabilities. Current grantees is defined as organizations funded between Oct. 1, 2025 – Sept. 30, 2026.

The program provides small grants to help existing grantees integrate accessibility into their projects and operations. This may include providing accommodations for audiences, artists, and staff; improving communication and physical access; or piloting innovative approaches that foster equity and inclusion in the arts.

Projects can include (but are not limited to):

• Accessibility accommodations for performances, exhibitions, or workshops.
• Artist residencies that prioritize disability inclusion.
• Staff or board training on accessibility practices.
• Hiring consultants to assess or improve accessibility.
• Technology, equipment, or services that expand access (e.g., captioning, ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices, audio description).

Period of Performance: Projects and activities may occur Jan. 1, 2026 – Aug. 31, 2026.
Applications Open: Nov. 17, 2025
Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 30, 2026, or until all available funds have been awarded. Applications must be submitted at least 45 days prior to the start of the proposed project.