ABOUT THE FUND
If you need any assistance applying to the fund, would like the application to be translated into your native language (sign included), or would like to apply over the phone or on paper, please email access@documentary.org or call (213) 232-1660 ext 213.
At the NAI we strive to put access into action. Drawing from the data collected through the NAI Nonfiction Media Makers with Disabilities Survey, we discovered that many media makers need rapid response funding for access costs not covered by other available grants. With support from the Ford Foundation, the Direct Access Fund was created for this purpose.
The Direct Access Fund awards small targeted funds for access accommodations and services that would otherwise be unfunded. We underwrite disabled media makers who practice fact-based storytelling, including but not limited to: documentary, nonfiction podcasting, new media, immersive, and other types of nonfiction practice, and are currently working on a project at any stage. This includes distribution and festival support.
All career levels are encouraged to apply. You do not need an official diagnosis to apply to the fund. If disability, neurodivergence, or chronic illness resonates with your experience, please apply.
We acknowledge that access is situational and can be defined in different ways, such as:
Infrastructural: allowing participation and use by a particular individual and presentation in such a way as to provide full participation for all
Interpersonal: allowing for the need to be addressed and supported through the administration and support of life-promoting services
We are awarding up to $5,000 of direct funding toward the development of practices that allow non-fiction media makers and their teams to widen access capacity within their projects. (We have a limited amount of funds we can give out each quarter, so to serve the largest number of makers, we ask that you ask for exactly what you need.)