Margaret O’Neil Grant
The Margaret O’Neil Grant supports parishes in cultivating a culture of accessibility, inclusion, and belonging that enables the full participation of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church.
Goal: Through the Margaret O’Neil Grant, the Office for Persons with Disabilities seeks to empower parishes to foster a culture of belonging, where individuals with disabilities are fully welcomed as baptized members of the Body of Christ. This grant supports parish efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities can participate meaningfully in all aspects of parish life and share their God-given gifts. By creating more accessible and inclusive communities, parishes will strengthen opportunities for individuals with disabilities to contribute to the Church’s mission, evangelize through their witness, and experience a true sense of belonging within their faith community.
| Date | Goal |
| October 3, 2026 | Application Open |
| January 24, 2027 | Application Deadline |
| January 25-February 18, 2027 | Application Review Period |
| February 19, 2027 | Funding Decision |
| March 7, 2027 at the Mass Honoring the Gifts of Persons with Disabilities | Grant(s) Disbursed |
Please download and complete the grant application above. Completed applications may be submitted by email with subject “O’Neil Grant” to [email protected] or mailed to:
Office for Persons with Disabilities
1601 Cherry Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1310
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply?
Catholic parishes within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that have an appointed parish advocate are eligible to apply. Advocates must be approved by the Pastor and registered in the Office for Persons with Disabilities database. Grant applicants must have approval from Pastor.
For more information on the parish advocate program, click HERE.
How can I find the needs of my parish?
Speaking with individuals with disabilities and their families/caregivers is the best way to find what the needs are in your parish. Listening sessions with various groups of individuals and surveys are highly encouraged.
We understand some parishes may be new to providing accessibility supports and therefore, we encourage you to utilize the resources on our accessiblity checklists page to help you discover the unique needs within your parish.
How much funding is available?
A total of $3,000 in grant funding is available.
What are the funding priorities?
Funding priorities are:
- Parish projects that remove barriers to participation in worship, faith formation, and community life
- Barriers may include but not limited to:
- Attitudinal barriers – i.e. labels, stereotypes, fear of the unknown, segregated programs
- Solutions – trainings for parish community, modeling, language, begin at early age
- Administrative barriers – i.e. outreach network, inexperienced staff and volunteers, inadequate support
- Solutions – teaming with individuals with disabilities and their families, creating support teams, utilizing available resources/individuals, trainings for staff and volunteers
- Programmatic Barriers – i.e. content/materials, lack of staff support, inflexible program
- Solutions – training for staff, accommodations/flexible grouping, adaptive materials, inclusion facilitator/advocate
- Architectural/Physical Barriers – i.e. inaccessible building, lack of materials/resources
- Solutions – plan in advance for persons with disabilities, identify barrier free, safe environments, create accessible environments
- Attitudinal barriers – i.e. labels, stereotypes, fear of the unknown, segregated programs
- Barriers may include but not limited to:
- Blind and low-vision accessibility and inclusion
- Chronic illness, chronic pain, and cancer ministries
- Other disability access and inclusion initiatives
What types of expenses are eligible for funding?
Expenses related to the funding priorities include but are not limited to:
- Parish projects that remove barriers to participation in worship, faith formation, and community life.
- Trainings for staff, volunteers and parish community that include teaming with individuals with disabilities and their families, creating support teams, utilizing available resources/individuals
- Adaptive content/materials, accommodation materials, training for staff, inclusion facilitator/advocate
- Architectural/physical changes
- Braille/large print materials, faith formation items, transportation, etc.
- Materials to support chronic illness, chronic pain, and/or cancer ministries.
- Other disability access and inclusion initiatives.
Can multiple projects be supported with one grant?
Yes, a parish may use a single parish grant to support multiple projects. Parishes must clearly explain this in their application and submit a budget that lists each project and associated expenses.
Questions and Support
Please send questions about grant eligibility and applications to [email protected].