MSD Accessibility Fund accepting applications; new disabled person led organisation

MSD Accessibility Fund accepting grant applications

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is inviting applications for grants from the Accessible Family and Sexual Violence Services for Disabled People Fund (the Accessibility Fund).

Applications are due by 12 August 2024.

The Accessible Family and Sexual Violence Services for Disabled People Fund (the Accessibility Fund) is a new fund from MSD. One of the focus areas for the Accessibility Fund is "Supporting MSD-funded FV/SV providers with the opportunity to apply for funding to improve their physical, digital, and information-based accessibility through a competitive grant process." 

Under this focus area, MSD is now inviting grant applications from MSD-funded family violence and sexual violence providers to improve their physical, digital, and information-based accessibility. These are one-off grants of funding up to $75,000. Applications could include developing an accessible website, creating accessible information in alternate formats, or other physical modifications.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must be a current MSD-funded family violence or sexual violence provider who delivers direct to client services at the time of the application closing date – 12 August 2024.

A pre-condition to apply is completing the Accessibility Self-Assessment tool. MSD designed the Accessibility Self-Assessment tool for providers to evaluate their level of accessibility and to help providers identify changes to make their services more accessible. The MSD website has FAQs and guides for the Grants and Self-Assessment tool.

Disability awareness training for MSD-funded providers

Another focus area for the fund includes increasing family violence and sexual violence awareness of accessibility needs and barriers through training. Under this focus area, the Accessibility Fund is supporting introductory disability awareness training for MSD-funded providers. MSD is partnering with Blueprint for Learning and Te Pou to offer a limited number of spaces for providers to participate in a virtual training programme. MSD expects to offer the training in 2025.

To be eligible for the training, providers must complete the Accessibility Self-Assessment tool. The MSD website has more information and a link to register interest for participating in the training.

More information

See the MSD website for more information about the Accessibility Fund grants, training and self-assessment tool. For questions email MSD at accessibilityfund@msd.govt.nz. 

Related news

VisAble is a newly established disabled person led organisation in Aotearoa. VisAble encompasses the concepts of visible and enable and sums up in a single word their mission of making violence against disabled people visible, while enabling a more disability responsive family violence and sexual violence system. 

Over the past year they have been operating as a prototype, funded by Whaikaha and umbrellaed by People First New Zealand Ngā Tāngata Tuatahi. This way of working was called DAPAR – Disability Abuse Prevention and Response. VisAble has been established in response to disabled people wanting their own disabled person led violence prevention organisation. VisAble is a registered charitable trust, overseen by a Board, and currently appointing a chief executive and recruiting and growing their workforce. As VisAble, the team will support organisations to grow their capability to work alongside disabled people, their families and whānau to enable safer lives; provide Safeguarding Adults support and advice; and provide specialist advice, support and responses to violence, abuse and neglect against disabled people and Adults at Risk. The same services with a new name and new logo, and building on a year of development to inform the way forward. 

To make a referral, email refer@daper.co.nz. For questions about the response work, contact Olivia Bloom at Olivia.Bloom@visable.co.nz. For questions about organisational capacity development and other issues, contact Sue Hobbs at sue.hobbs@visable.co.nz.