As of 2022, ADA-Indiana no longer has a grants funding program. We have maintained this page to provide examples of projects that could be replicated in communities. Please feel free to contact ADA-Indiana staff if you have questions about the projects or if you wish to have more information to do a similar project in your community.
During the time when ADA-Indiana had a grants program, a diverse range of organizations were funding to do projects including Chambers of Commerce, Centers for Independent Living, Disability Advocacy Organizations, Disability Councils/Mayor’s Council on Disabilities, State Associations, State Agencies, Service Providers, and Universities.
Click the years below for a complete list of grantee organizations for that year:
Title I Employment Education for Employers and Individuals and Reverse Job Fair
Easterseals Crossroads provided training on Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act to employers and individuals with disabilities related to employment issues and workplace accommodations. Employers also received disability awareness training and an overview of the myths and facts about employing people with disabilities. Employers were provided with an opportunity to meet job candidates at a Reverse Job Fair hosted at Easterseals Crossroads.
Increasing Transportation and Mobility Accessibility Opportunities for All
The City of Bloomington’s Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) hosted a public event on pedestrian access and the ADA in the Bloomington community. This event allowed attendees to consider accessibility as it relates to traveling between employment, recreation, and living opportunities in and around Bloomington. After an information session with keynote speaker, Melissa Anderson from Office of Civil Rights, Federal Highway Administration, small groups explored specific areas in the community identifying barriers and potential approaches to expanding access beyond the established Bloomington Transit, Rural Transit, and other transportation options. Following the small group exploration activity, attendees returned to share their experiences and discuss their suggestions. The Council for Community Accessibility provided a report and video montage of the day's events to city and county leaders and others.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ADA-Indiana did not support any local communities through their Coros ADA Community Grants program in 2020. As the purpose of the grants program is to support communities to host local educational events and activities to promote the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we determined the state and local restrictions in place for most of 2020 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 would have made these activities difficult and possibly unsafe.
Ride-Hailing and Mobility Workshop and Forum
The City of Bloomington’s Council for Community Accessibility was funded to host an all-day training on ride-hailing and mobility management. The project had two components. An informational workshop for policy makers, transportation planners, and disability organizations about incorporating ride hailing services (Uber and Lyft) and other mobility options into public transit, followed by a more “how-to” workshop for people with disabilities and older adults. The featured speaker was Judy Shanley from the National Center for Mobility Management.
The Council asked permission to add third component which was to coordinate an Uber “buddy” training program which matched a frequent Uber user with a person with a disability or older adult who had no experience in using Uber. The Uber user assisted the person with a disability in arranging to take Uber ride and provided safety tips.
Matching an Untapped Workforce: Available Careers in Health Care
The Hamilton Center, a community behavioral health center serving the Terre Haute area, collaborated with Indiana State University, Vigo County School Corporation, and others to host a workshop at Union Hospital. The invited participants, youth with disabilities, were introduced to the various career opportunities in the health care sector in Vigo County. The workshop featured a speaker on the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and workplace accommodations.
Focus on Employment
In this program year, ADA-Indiana invited proposals with a focus on employment for people with disabilities. The funded projects included:
Employment First Community Workshop Series for Employers
LIFEDesigns, a service provider in south central Indiana, hosted a series of activities on the ADA and employment. The activities began in October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, with a presentation for local employers, and concluded in December with a community conversation on increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Matching an Untapped Workforce with Available Careers
The Hamilton Center, a community behavioral health center serving the Terre Haute area, conducted two workshops in the fall for the Wabash Valley community. The primary target audience for the workshops will be youth with disabilities (in high school or college) and unemployed or underemployed people with disabilities. The workshops will feature an ADA expert but will also include “local experts” who will provide information on community opportunities. The workshops will be presented as a collaboration between the Wabash Valley Business Leadership Network, Workforce Development Board, Vigo County School Corporation’s Career and Technology Division, and Ivy Tech.
Focus on Law Enforcement and First Responders
In this program year, ADA-Indiana invited proposals with a focus on education and training of law enforcement and first responders on their interaction with people with disabilities. The funded projects included:
ADA Requirements for Law Enforcement and First Responders and Communicating with People with Disabilities
ADEC, Inc. requested funding to host two one-day workshops for area law enforcement officers in collaboration with the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department. The training featured Robin Jones from the Great Lakes ADA Center on the ADA requirements for effective communication and law enforcement. ADEC, Inc. also featured representatives from their organization and a panel of people with disabilities to educate officers on best practices in communication.
Geographic Location: Elkhart and St. Joseph counties
ADA Priority Area(s): ADA Title II, Effective Communication, Law Enforcement
Resource distributed: Examples and Resources to Support Criminal Justice Entities in Compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Beach Safety for All: Focus on Law Enforcement
Miller Spotlight requested funding to host “a series of workshops” on educating law enforcement and first responders on disability and ADA issues related to beach and water safety in Northwest Indiana. A series of small workshops were conducted in the Gary area to educate members of the greater Northwest Indiana law enforcement, first responders coalition, and the general public on the importance of inclusion of persons with visible and non-visible disabilities within the community. One of the featured trainers was Ancel Montenelli from the Great Lakes ADA Center.
Geographic Location: Gary and Lake County
ADA Priority Area(s): Law Enforcement, Recreation; ADA Title 2 & 3
The ADA and Access to the Arts
accessABILITY, Center for Independent Living, Inc. was funded to host a workshop for Indianapolis area arts organizations. During the course of their project, they collaborated with the Arts Council of Indianapolis to provide the space for the event and to promote the workshop to their contacts.
They utilized the Executive Director of ArtMix Indiana (form VSA Indiana) who had presented on the topics to be covered in the workshop on a national level. In addition to the speaker, the event also featured two additional presenters who discussed how what they are doing within their own organization to provide better access for people with disabilities. The event was able to provide training for 25 arts and culture professionals with the added bonus that the workshop was recorded and captioned so as to be available on the accessABILITY CIL website as a resource.
Geographic Location: Indianapolis and Marion County
ADA Priority Area(s): Culture and Recreation; ADA Title 3
ADA Assistance to Local Restaurants
The City of Bloomington’s Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) was funded to offer an ADA training workshop for local restaurateurs in the Bloomington area. The focus of the workshop was designed to address issues found when the CCA’s Accessibility Committee surveyed restaurants for its AccessAbility Decal program, including accessible restrooms and parking. CCA sought to involve the leadership of the local restaurant association in their planning efforts as the member restaurateurs would be the primary audience.
CCA worked with a consultant to provide the training for restaurant owners and members of the local restaurant association. The workshop was recorded and captioned and is available on CCA’s website. CCA sent a request to the local restaurant association to distribute the link and resources to their membership.
Geographic Location: Bloomington and Monroe County
ADA Priority Area(s): Hospitality; Recreation; ADA Title 3
Access for All, Gary’s Miller Community
Miller Spotlight is a community building initiative/coalition that is focusing on the “Miller” neighborhood in Gary. Miller Spotlight was funded to provide several workshops around accessibility including topics around physical accessibility, website accessibility, and general disability awareness. The target audiences included municipal planning groups, business entities, and the general public. Many of the workshop were video recorded and captioned to use as resources for future training and awareness activities. A few of the trainings feature staff from the Great Lakes ADA Center.
Geographic Location: Gary and Lake County
ADA Priority Area(s): Recreation; ADA Title 2 & 3
ADA Workshops and Employer Outreach
The Hamilton Center (Community Mental Health Center) was funded to provide training and workshops to promote the employment of people with disabilities, in collaboration with the Wabash Valley Business Leadership Network, the Wabash Independent Living and Learning Center, and the Indiana State University. In March, the partners hosted an all-day training featuring Deb Dagit and Marcy Hintzman, ADA-Indiana Chair. (The event was offered as a statewide event and supported and funded by multiple organizations.)
Another event, “ADA: Life not Law,” featured two speakers who provided the participants with how the ADA has impacted the course of their lives, from community, to educational opportunities, and with work.
A final activity for the grant included an outreach mailing to employers in September to highlight resources (focusing on Job Accommodations Network) and National Disability Employment Awareness month. There was also an invitation to local employers and businesses to participate at various levels in the Wabash Valley Business Leadership Network.
Wabash Valley Business Leadership Network / Hamilton Center
The Wabash Valley BLN coordinated a series of employment-related workshops for Wabash Valley employers, human resource professionals, and others. One of the featured speakers was Deb Dagit, a nationally known speaker on the topic of diversity in the workplace.
City of Monticello / Mayor's ADA Advisory Committee
Monticello hosted the ADA Legacy Bus Tour Stop in Monticello, White County. Find out more about this national tour through the ADA Legacy Project.
Skulski Consulting
Skulski Consulting hosted a "The ADA at 25: Creating Accessible Counties, Cities, and Towns" workshop for local government officials and others. The content of the workshop focused on Title II of the ADA.
Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living
SICIL hosted a community workshop on accessible voting for local county officials from several counties and disability advocates. Invited speakers included Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services and ADA-Indiana, with a special keynote from Indiana Secretary of State, Connie Lawson.
Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living (Mitchell, Lawrence County)
The Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living (SICIL) received funding to support the training of their staff and community partners to be a community resource on accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act to local government and businesses. SICIL hosted a training workshop that included a title I update and included a field-based exercise for participants on how to do an accessibility survey.
Indiana Chapter of Black Deaf Advocates
The Indiana Chapter of Black Deaf Advocates hosted a training event on the Americans with Disabilities Act for Deaf and Hard of Hearing advocates featuring Opeoluwa Sotonwa, the Executive Director of the Missouri Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Chair of the National Black Deaf Advocates.
Evansville Human Rights Commission
The Evansville Human Rights Commission received funding to support the training of their staff, advisory council, and other community partners to be a community resource on accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act to local businesses. The Commission hosted a training workshop that included a field-based exercise for participants on how to use the tools and the ADA Checklist from the ADA National Network.
Hamilton Behavioral Health Center (City of Terre Haute and surrounding communities)
The Hamilton Center received funding to provide three workshops on promoting the employment of people with disabilities. The Hamilton Center collaborated with other members of the Wabash Valley Business Leadership Network.
Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau (Nashville, Indiana)
The Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau conducted accessibility surveys of the Nashville downtown tourism area with the help of high school volunteers. The final product for the project was a map indicating accessible routes and other features through downtown Nashville.
Harvesting Capabilities, Inc. (Miami and surrounding counties)
Harvesting Capabilities hosted two training opportunities for the business community in Miami County. The first workshop focused on how and why businesses should make their goods and services accessible. The second workshop covered employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Wabash Valley Chapter- Business Leadership Network (Terre Haute, Indiana)
The Wabash Valley Chapter- Business Leadership Network hosted a training workshop for area employers on workplace diversity. The aim of the workshop was to develop an “Associate Resource Group” to assist employers with developing diversity plans for hiring persons with disabilities.
The WILL Center (Vigo and surrounding counties)
The WILL Center staff worked directly with county and city officials to ensure that people with disabilities have full and complete access to programs and services. The project design involved six county seats: Terre Haute, Newport, Rockville, Greencastle, Brazil, and Spencer. Staff met directly with county/city officials to provide information about ADA rules and regulations, and to assess courthouse and city hall, including ramps, entrances to buildings, accessibility of meeting areas, and the accessibility of information and materials for persons with vision and/or hearing impairments.
Arc Northwest Indiana (Lake and surrounding counties)
Arc Northwest Indiana hosted two workshops at a community job fair in June. The project provided a training on the new employment regulations under Title I for employers and human resource professionals in the morning. There was a ADA training workshop on employment for the community in the afternoon. The Great Lakes ADA Center provided the speaker.
Evansville Association for the Blind
The Evansville Association for the Blind conducted a project to address and evaluate the need for the installation of accessible pedestrian signals (APS) in Evansville. At present, none are available in the metropolitan area. The project team proposed that the installation of APS signals at appropriate intersections would enable people with various disabilities to travel more safely and independently.
Future Choices, Inc.
Future Choices, Inc., one of Indiana's Center for Independent Living based in Muncie, offered ADA training to their community using the ADA Audio Conference series. They partnered with the local government and transportation entity to provide the audio conference series in different locations each month.
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce was funded to update and print their two ADA guides for local businesses: "Making Places of Public Accommodation Accessible to all" and "Hiring and Supporting People with Disabilities." These booklets were developed by the Chamber with the collaboration of local city officials and advocates.
Indianapolis Resource Center for Independent Living
The Indianapolis Resource Center for Independent Living (IRCIL), another Center for Independent Living, worked with local partners to assist businesses and organizations in the Fountain Square neighborhood (Southeast Indianapolis) to create access for people with disabilities.
Indiana Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The Indiana Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Indiana Transportation Museum were funded to explore ways to make the State Fair train accessible. Their project focused on reviewing the existing historical train and the existing stops to assess and identify barriers to accessibility.
Bloomington's Council for Community Accessibility
The City of Bloomington’s Council for Community Accessibility (CCA) was funded to conduct two trainings in Monroe and surrounding counties for architects, construction personnel, inspectors, and municipal officials who approve plans for new business construction. The goal was for those involved in the process to know their obligations under the ADA so businesses are accessible prior to opening, rather than after the fact, which would necessitate additional expenses.
Lifestream Services, Inc. in Delaware County
Lifestream Services, Inc., a service provider based in Yorktown, developed a training and publication called “Understanding the Link between the ADA and Public Transportation.” They hosted the training for transportation staff and people with disabilities.
Future Choices, Inc., in Muncie
Future Choices, Inc., one of Indiana’s Center for Independent Living based in Muncie, offered training and conducted follow-up site accessibility checks in collaboration with the City/County ADA Coordinator. The training used the Great Lakes ADA Center's Legal Issues Webinar Series to city and county officials.
Restaurant Drive-Through Project
The Fort Wayne Deaf Advocacy Coalition conducted a project focused on determining the accessibility of Fort Wayne drive-through restaurants for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Individual reports of findings, recommendations for improvement, and tax incentive information were prepared and distributed to the restaurant owners.
ADA Transportation Training
The Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living (SICIL) conducted trainings for people with disabilities on the ADA and transportation in the Bloomington area. The project was a collaborative effort of SICIL, City of Bloomington Transit, and service providers with customers in the Bloomington area
Making Places of Public Accommodations Accessible to All
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Diversity Team developed a sequel to its 2003 ADA Handbook on Employment. The new handbook focused on Title III of the ADA. It explained the Title III requirements from providers of public accommodations, explained why compliance is good for business, answered FAQs, and provided local resources for additional information.
Removing Barriers for Voters with Disabilities
The Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities developed and distributed a handbook for local election officials: Removing Barriers for Voters with Disabilities.
Movies for All
The Independent Living Center of Eastern Indiana worked with Kerasotes Theaters of Richmond to offer captioning in the local theaters. The project entailed a market analysis, research, installation of equipment, and monitoring consumer usage.
Hiring and Supporting People with Disabilities in Bloomington
The Diversity Team of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce developed a handbook to help area employers understand their obligations under the ADA and provide them with local support and resources.
Opening the Door: Interviewing People with Disabilities
Bona Vista, Inc. conducted a training seminar for employers in Howard and Miami counties. The seminar focused on increasing knowledge of interviewing etiquette and legalities under the ADA.
Mayor’s Summit on Inclusion and Accessibility - City of Indianapolis
The Mayor’s Office of Disability Affairs hosted a disability summit in Indianapolis for persons with disabilities. The summit was an opportunity for persons with disabilities to voice their concerns and discuss ways to address them. It also connected them with employers and service providers to create partnerships for promoting inclusion and understanding.
Building Accessible Campaigns
The Indiana Family Social and Services Administration hosted a workshop designed to increase the political participation of Hoosiers with disabilities by ensuring that political campaigns are accessible to them and encouraging their participation. The seminar was tailored for candidates, current office holders, and party officials. The event was presented in three sections: accessible web sites, accessible materials, and encouraging participation.
Statewide Gas Station Awareness
Janus Developmental Services developed a public relations program to purchase signs for gas stations in Hamilton County so they could provide equal access to their customers with disabilities. Signs were placed in the window area of gas stations; there were also labels for individual pumps. Representatives from a Community Accessibility Committee planned to visit gas stations, give information on the ADA, and offer materials to inform their patrons.
Implementing the ADA for Supervisors
The Purdue University Affirmative Action Office conducted a training program for employment supervisors in the Greater Lafayette business community. The focus of the training was Title 1 (the employment provisions of the ADA) and its implications for supervisors. The training was designed to inform them about their responsibilities as supervisors to recognize, evaluate, and implement requests for reasonable accommodations for their employees.
Access Kokomo Accessibility Guide
The Kokomo Mayor’s Office Advisory Council for Disability Issues developed a community guide to highlight accessible features in Kokomo.
Learning Disabilities and ADA: What Employers and Community Groups Need to Know
The Dyslexia Institute mailed information packets (including a brochure) to businesses and community groups. Using existing materials, the purpose of the packets was to increase awareness of learning disabilities and the rights and responsibilities of employers and community groups. As a follow up, the Institute wanted to conducted informational sessions with local businesses and community groups in order to determine if the groups were interested in receiving additional information or training from the Institute.
ADA Accessible Playground Community Training
The WILL Center (Center for Independent Living) in Terre Haute provided two 3-hour training sessions to educate schools, churches and public parks about ADA requirements regulating playground design and construction. Their goal was to have at least 40 participants from five county-service areas attend (Vigo, Parke, Clay, Vermillion, and Putnam).
Implementing ADA in Whitley County
First Steps/Step Ahead of Whitley County hosted a community-wide luncheon to raise ADA awareness among businesses, manufacturers, local government officials, contractors, and churches. At the luncheon, they disseminated the results of previously conducted focus groups and distributed ADA resources to help businesses with their compliance efforts.
Self-Advocates Promote Awareness and Compliance
A Self-Advocate Committee sponsored by the Arc of Hancock County implemented a community accessibility project. The committee surveyed local businesses in Hancock County using the ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal, offered recommendations, and presented a window sticker to businesses that were in compliance. Businesses in compliance also received a certificate.
Physicians ADA Survey
United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Indiana conducted a survey of Indiana’s physicians and developed a booklet listing physicians willing and able to provide basic healthcare to persons with disabilities. Also UCP provided every physician surveyed with a checklist of “Quality Indicators” to increase their sensitivity to needs of patients with significant disabilities.
Rural Community Accessibility Seminars
Breaking New Ground at Purdue University disseminated information gathered from community accessibility assessments conducted in Benton, Fountain and Warren Counties through the Step Ahead Councils. The information was presented during luncheon seminars to leaders in the three counties. The information packages included: county accessibility assessment report for the given counties, BNG’s Indiana Directory of Disability Resources, and several ADA publications for municipalities.
