Disability Futures — United States Artists

About

Launched in 2020 by United States Artists after a year-long research phase, Disability Futures was designed to address the disproportionate lack of recognition, funding, and professional resources for disabled creative practitioners in the United States. Supported by Ford Foundation and Mellon Foundation, the program ran three cycles and in 2025 named 43 disability organizations for fellows-nominated recognition awards.

What It Does

Disability Futures provides selected fellows with $50,000 unrestricted grants alongside communications expertise, financial planning resources, and legal counsel. The publicly accessible program database showcases fellows' biographies, creative work, and perspectives, functioning as a national directory of leading disabled artists across disciplines including visual art, film, journalism, music, and writing.

Who It Helps

Disabled creative practitioners — visual artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, journalists, and others — at any career stage in the United States who lack access to mainstream arts funding, exhibition opportunities, and professional infrastructure.