ThisAbility launches a new Disability Fund to help support disabled creatives

Today marks the launch of The Disability Radical Imagination Impact Fund (DRIIF), where a total of ten grants of up to £1,500 will be offered to help further disabled creatives’ projects and practices. The fund is run by ThisAbility, a disability-led and POC-led justice business that helps socially conscious organisations – those focused on sustainability, tech or design – to increase revenues through engaging the estimated $8 trillion disabled market.

In launching the fund, the ThisAbility aims to make grant applications more accessible by allowing applicants to upload their answers in audio or video format. And those who seek to apply will be able to do so until the deadline of 3 December 2021, with winners announced on 5 July 2022 – which coincides with Sulaiman Khan’s birthday, the founder and chief purpose officer.

The fund is also designed for disabled creatives and those who are “BIPOC, minoritised and/or at the intersection of multiple systems of oppression,” states the release. “So when we say Indigenous, we don’t mean the definition of Indigenous that white supremacy adopts for its propaganda and what we sometimes see as violent and hateful action.”

On why the DRIIF is essential, Sulaiman says in the announcement: “As a disabled AF, South Asian man, continual WIP, I understand and have experienced what it means to be excluded in the workplace and within society. Disabled people have infinite imagination within limitations and our wisdom is a potential goldmine for the world’s biggest problems. Yet, disabled creatives and our narrative is never heard nor a part of any conversation. I am delighted that I have started to build capacity to launch this fund that is long overdue, and I hope we are able to continue this as my legacy long after I am gone. This fund is the beginning of work we are destined to do and the start of investment (financial and social) into our disabled global family. Let’s go!”

The majority of funding raised for the grants will be from a deduction of ten per cent from every client investment into the company’s services. More information about investment can be found here, and the application form for DRIFF can be found here. Also, here’s a video where Sulaiman explains more about the fund.