NEA Universal Design Leadership Project, FY2009

The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to maintaining a leadership role in the area of universal design. Universal design is a design process that goes beyond minimum codes and standards to make spaces comfortably usable by people from childhood into their oldest years. It is not, as many mistakenly view it, the practice of meeting minimum access requirements. The Arts Endowment recognizes design’s ever present role in everyday life and is committed to encouraging and disseminating the best in universal design for the benefit of the American public. The NEA, with its national perspective and commitment to artistic excellence, is in a unique position to exercise a leadership role in this area. The Arts Endowment seeks to enter into a Cooperative Agreement with an organization that will carry out a project to increase understanding, acceptance, and practice of universal design within the design profession, by design educators, and by the American public. Proposed projects should focus on extending the appeal of universal design from the disability community into the mainstream of American design and American society. The project should educate designers and others including developers, city planners, and consumers on this important issue. The Arts Endowment’s support of this Cooperative Agreement can start no sooner than September 1, 2009. The period of support may extend for up to two years. Closing Date for Applications: Feb 19, 2009

NEA AccessAbility Program Announcement, FY 2009

This program announcement outlines three separate National Endowment for the Arts projects. These projects, listed below, provide career opportunities or arts programming for individuals with disabilities, older adults, or those in healthcare settings:

• Statewide Forums on Careers in the Arts for Individuals with Disabilities
• Access to Design Professions
• Arts in Healthcare Consultancy Program

The Arts Endowment plans to award one grant for each project. Each grant may be renewed for up to four years, subject to agency priorities, the availability of funds, and grantee performance.

These projects are managed by the Arts Endowment's AccessAbility Office, which works with a wide range of public and private partners.

For more information on the background of each project, visit the Accessibility section of the Arts Endowment's Web site.