Access Eau Claire Fund Katherine Schneider and her guide dog at the celebration of the 27th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act Established by Dr. Katherine Schneider, this fund’s purpose is to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the leadership, programs, and services offered by Chippewa Valley nonprofit organizations. Dr. Schneider has been a resident of Eau Claire for more than twenty-five years and has given many talks to local groups about access issues and about living as a blind woman in Eau Claire. It is her goal to support projects such as developing staff training on disability issues, providing inclusive materials like adapted equipment, implementing special program initiatives to reach out to people with disabilities, and purchasing materials in alternate formats such as Braille. Looking to the future, Dr. Schneider says, “People need to consider that half the people over sixty-five have disabilities, so if they do not have a disability now, they may in the future. Then they can think about what needs to happen so that if they develop a disability, they could still live the good life in Eau Claire.” DONATE If you have a project that could benefit from an Access Eau Claire grant of up to $5000, you can email a letter of request to [email protected] or mail a hard copy to the ECCF office. Include the following information: Your organization’s name and mission A description of your funding need Details about how people with disabilities were included in planning for the grant-funded purchase or project How people with disabilities will benefit if your grant proposal is funded The amount you’re requesting A clear breakdown of how grant dollars would be used Letters of request will be considered by Dr. Schneider and funding decisions will be announced on a rolling basis.