Disability Grants in Northern Ireland

Applications for disability-focused funding must demonstrate genuine co-production with disabled people throughout your project — from design and governance to delivery and evaluation. Funders will look for evidence that disabled people hold meaningful decision-making power, not just advisory or consultative roles. Frame your work within the social model of disability, focusing on the barriers society creates rather than individual deficits. Describe how your organisation is user-led or how disabled people are represented on your board and staff team. Outcomes should be person-centred, measuring what matters to participants: increased choice, greater independence, meaningful social participation, and enhanced control over their own lives rather than purely clinical or functional metrics. Ensure your monitoring and evaluation processes are themselves accessible — explain how you gather feedback from people with communication needs, learning disabilities, or sensory impairments. If your project involves assistive technology or adaptations, show how you personalise solutions rather than applying a standard package. Avoid deficit-based language throughout your application and instead emphasise strengths, rights, and aspirations. Strong applications demonstrate an understanding that disability intersects with other forms of disadvantage and describe how you ensure your project is inclusive across the full diversity of disabled people.