Grant Opportunities

Introduction:

The Michigan ADA Steering Committee was formed in 1991 and is comprised of business, government and disability representation. The Steering Committee serves as a statewide network providing material and other resources to Michigan's business and disability communities to foster an understanding of and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including the recent ADA Amendments Act. The Steering Committee is one of six steering committees that are funded under the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center: Great Lakes ADA Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Center receives its funding from the National Institute for Disability Research and Rehabilitation, U.S. Department of Education. The other five steering committees are located in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Problem Statement:

The Michigan ADA Steering Committee has offered a variety of training and information dissemination activities over its life aimed at target populations in the state. The Committee has worked to increase awareness of the ADA in the past and is now focusing on employment of people with disabilities. The Committee believes the best way to accomplish this is to offer grants to non-profit agencies which will use the funds to promote awareness at the grassroots level in communities across Michigan.

Purpose:

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued for the purpose of obtaining proposals to help increase the awareness of the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act in cooperation with the Michigan ADA Steering Committee.

Objectives of Request for Proposal:

1. To provide outreach across the state in an attempt to promote the employment provisions of the ADA through activities such as trainings and workshops; and
2. To target audiences of employers and individuals who are potential employers of people with disabilities who are involved directly with employing and/or promoting employment of people with disabilities.

Funding:

There will be approximately $6,500 in funding available for fiscal year 2009-10. The Committee anticipates funding up to three proposals.

Proposal Format:

1. Summary
2. Organizational Capacity
3. Qualification of Personnel
   • include contact person
4. Plan of Work
   • activities, objectives, etc.
5. Timeline
6. Means of Measuring Outcomes
   • i.e. pre-post test of participant knowledge; evaluation followed up by phone/email/online survey after the activity
7. Budget Breakdown
   • narrative justification and detailed summary

Proposal Requirements:

1. All activities shall start after October 1, 2009, and be completed by September 30, 2010.
2. All activities must have measurable outcomes, where change can be demonstrated and measured as a result of the activity (i.e. increased awareness of the employment provisions of the ADA; increased awareness of reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities; development or modification to an employer's reasonable accommodation policy or a provision of reasonable accommodations to a employee with a disability). Activity outcome data shall be submitted to the Michigan ADA Steering Committee by September 30, 2010.
3. Any product (handouts, DVDs, presentations, evaluations, etc.) developed pursuant to this grant shall be submitted to the Michigan ADA Steering Committee. (The Committee has the right to use, distribute and/or alter materials as it sees fit.)
4. Any product shall include the following notation: "Funded in part by the Michigan ADA Steering Committee, a branch of the DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center. Funds are provided in part by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research (NIDRR) Grant #H133G060097."
5. Any product developed must be made available in alternative formats and must be demonstrated to be an effective form of communication. (If you develop a video, it must be captioned and audio descriptive.)
6. The receiving organization shall submit a follow-up report to the Michigan ADA Steering Committee no later than September 30, 2010.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

Representatives of the Michigan ADA Steering Committee will act as the proposal review committee and use the following criteria:

1. Quality of Proposed Activity (40%)
   1. The activity leverages funds from other organizations.
   2. The activity will reach a large number of people with valuable information.
   3. The schedule appears workable in terms of completing activities within grant period.
   4. The budget appears reasonable for the task.
   5. The proposal does not rely on uncommitted partners/presenters for success.
2. Individual & Organizational Expertise (40%)
   1. The organization has the background on disability issues.
   2. The individuals developing the project hold the expertise to perform the project.
   3. The presenters listed have proven speaking ability & disability expertise.
   4. Other resources listed are suitable for the activity and have demonstrated expertise in the field of ADA issues.
3. Resource Commitment (20%)
   1. The receiving organization will contribute financially.

Examples:

Successful proposals in the past have included the following:

• Workshops regarding what to do when an employee discloses a disability;
• Training employers on employing people with disabilities;
• Trainings on the employment provisions of the ADA;
• A presentation on employment trends regarding workers with disabilities;
• A forum on the employment provisions of the ADA for employers.

Proposal Submission:

Acceptable proposals must contain all information concerning the organization, its employees and any subcontractors planned to be used in this project.

Interested parties must submit a proposal by May 22, 2009, to the Michigan ADA Steering Committee coordinator, Dan Cooper. Please submit your proposal electronically to dcooper@mpas.org and/or via mail to the following address:

Michigan ADA Steering Committee
c/o Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, Inc.
29200 Vassar, Ste. 200
Livonia, MI 48152-2116

The Committee expects to notify applicants by July 2009.

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is available upon request in alternative formats by contacting Dan Cooper at 1-800-414-3956 (voice/TTY) or dcooper@mpas.org. Inquiries related to this proposal should also be directed to the above named person. Information can also be found on the Michigan ADA Steering Committee website at www.adamich.org.