Changing Places facilities are designed to enhance the health, safety, comfort and
dignity of someone who may need extra support and additional equipment during
personal care tasks.
The purpose of the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund, which was established
by Minister Rabbitte under Budget 2021, is to provide funding to support the
participation of people with disabilities in local activities, to help remove barriers to
community involvement and to support the promotion and implementation of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in
communities. In 2021, this funding is being provided through Local Authorities.
Projects will approved this year will promote the rights of people with disabilities, assist
in removing barriers to participation in local and community life and raise awareness of
the UNCRPD within communities and Local Authority staff and elected members
Further funding calls will issue in 2022, and the scheme parameters will be adjusted
based on the learning arising from the initial call this year. Targeting community groups
directly next year, the Minister hopes to build on the momentum established in 2021 and
seeks to focus on further supports for community participation and integration.
The Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 2021 was announced on the
18 th October this year. Applications were invited from Local Authority applicants up the
value of €80,000 around key themes to support the participation and inclusion of
disabled people in local communities including the Participation in community life i.e.
sports, the arts, community groups, and so forth, Accessible information and shared
public places, UNCRPD Promotion; and Disability Awareness and Capacity Building.
It was open to local authorities to partner with local and community organisations in
delivering on projects. Projects were assessed against eligibility criteria and then scored
on a number of areas, including the extent to which proposed projects aligned with the
stated aims and goals of the Fund.
