Grants for People with Disabilities in 2026

People with disabilities in the United States can get financial help from three places: federal programs such as SSDI, SSI, Medicare and the Section 811 housing program; private foundations such as FODAC and the Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation; and state programs that pay for home modifications, medical equipment and daily living costs. This guide explains who each one is for, what it pays for and how to apply. It covers programs that are open in 2026.

Key Facts

An estimated 42.5 million people in the United States live with a disability (Pew Research Center).
In 2026 the maximum federal SSI payment is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple.
Medicare Part B pays 80% of the approved cost of a wheelchair, scooter or other durable medical equipment your doctor prescribes, after the yearly deductible.
Since January 1, 2026, you can open an ABLE account if your disability began before age 46, up from 26.
The Autistic People of Color Fund gives microgrants of $100 to $500.
Texas’s In-Home and Family Support Program gives up to $3,600 a year for equipment and home modifications.
The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority awards mini-grants of up to $2,500 per person.

Grants, Benefits and Loans: What Is the Difference?

The word “grant” is used loosely. It helps to know which kind of help you are applying for:

Grants are one-time or yearly awards for a specific cost, such as a wheelchair, a ramp or a hearing aid. You do not repay them.
Benefits are ongoing payments or coverage you qualify for, such as SSDI, SSI, Medicare and Medicaid. You do not repay them either, but you have to keep meeting the rules.
Loans have to be paid back, though some disability loan programs have low or no interest.

Many people combine all three: a monthly benefit for living costs, Medicare or Medicaid for equipment, and a private grant for what is left.

Federal Programs for People with Disabilities

These programs are run or funded by the federal government. Most are open in every state, but states run some of them, so the details can differ where you live.

SSDI pays a monthly benefit to people who have worked and paid Social Security taxes, and who can no longer work because of a physical or mental condition expected to last at least 12 months or to result in death. Adult children who became disabled before age 22 can also get benefits on a parent’s work record. How much you get depends on your past earnings. In 2026 you can generally earn up to $1,690 a month ($2,830 if you are blind) without it counting as “substantial gainful activity”.

How to apply: online at ssa.gov, by phone or at your local Social Security office. Have your medical records, a list of your doctors and your work history ready.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI pays a monthly amount to people with a disability, blindness or age 65 or over who have little income and few resources, whether or not they have worked. Children with disabilities can qualify too. The federal maximum in 2026 is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple, and many states add a supplement. Most people who get SSI also qualify for Medicaid.

How to apply: through the Social Security Administration. SSI has strict limits on savings and income, so read about ABLE accounts below before you apply.

Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities

The Section 811 program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds affordable rental housing for adults with disabilities on very low or extremely low incomes, paired with support services. It pays to build new homes and to subsidize rent in existing ones.

How to apply: you do not apply to HUD directly. Contact your state housing agency or your local disability services provider, who make referrals to Section 811 homes.

ABLE Accounts

The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act lets states offer tax-advantaged savings accounts for people with disabilities. Family, friends and the account owner can all pay in. Earnings grow tax-free and can be spent on qualified disability expenses, including housing, transport, education, health care and assistive technology. For SSI, the first $100,000 in an ABLE account is not counted as a resource, so you can save without losing your benefits.

Since January 1, 2026, anyone whose disability began before age 46 can open an account, whatever their age now. The yearly contribution limit follows the federal gift tax exclusion. The ABLE National Resource Center compares every state’s plan.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

IDEA funds states and school districts to give children with disabilities a free appropriate public education, with an individualized education program (IEP) built around their needs. The money goes to schools rather than to families, but it pays for services your child is entitled to, such as special education, speech therapy and assistive technology in the classroom, from birth through age 21.

Federal Student Aid and Vocational Rehabilitation

Students with disabilities can get the same federal student aid as other students, including Pell Grants, which do not have to be repaid. Fill in the FAFSA every year to apply. Separately, every state has a vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency that can pay for training, college costs, assistive technology and job coaching when they help you get or keep a job. The University of Washington’s DO-IT Center keeps a guide to college funding for students with disabilities.

Medicare

Medicare Part B covers durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, power scooters, walkers and hospital beds, when your doctor prescribes it for use at home. Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount after the Part B deductible, and you or a supplemental plan pay the other 20%. Use a supplier that accepts Medicare assignment, or you may pay more. People who get SSDI usually become eligible for Medicare after 24 months of benefits.

Medicaid

Medicaid is health coverage for people on low incomes, including many people with disabilities. States run it, so eligibility and benefits vary. Beyond medical care, most states offer home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers that can pay for personal care, home modifications, respite for family caregivers and equipment, so you can live at home instead of in a care facility. Waivers often have waiting lists, so apply early.

VA Specially Adapted Housing Grants

The Department of Veterans Affairs gives housing grants to veterans and service members with certain service-connected disabilities, to buy, build or change a home, for example by adding ramps or widening doorways. For fiscal year 2026 the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant is up to $126,526 and the Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) grant up to $25,350. The VA updates these limits every October 1.

Private Grants for People with Disabilities

Private grants come from foundations, charities and companies. They are usually smaller than government programs, but they can pay for things public programs will not, and they often decide faster. Each one has its own rules, so check the website before you apply.

Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC)

FODAC collects, refurbishes and passes on wheelchairs, hospital beds, bath equipment and other home medical equipment at low or no cost. It is based in the Atlanta area and serves people across the country through partners and donors.

Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation

The Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation funds paralysis research and gives charitable grants to people with spinal cord and other neurological conditions. Grants help pay for van modifications, wheelchairs, ramps and other adaptive equipment. Applications are reviewed four times a year, you need to ask for a specific item, and Wisconsin residents get priority. The foundation also offers scholarships.

I GOT LEGS

I GOT LEGS is a nonprofit focused on helping people with paralysis walk again through exoskeletons and research. Its grant fund helps individuals in need with equipment such as wheelchairs, vehicle hand controls and lifts, ramps and bathroom modifications, and other adaptive technology.

Chanda Center for Health

The Chanda Center for Health in Lakewood, Colorado, provides integrative therapies such as acupuncture, massage, chiropractic care and physical therapy, plus behavioral health and dental care, for people with physical disabilities such as spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. Rather than giving cash grants, it uses donations and grant funding to make these services affordable.

Wheels of Happiness

Wheels of Happiness gives wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and other mobility aids to people with motor disabilities who cannot afford them, funded by corporate partners, individual donors and fundraising events.

High Fives Foundation

The High Fives Foundation supports people who sustained a life-changing injury, such as a spinal cord injury, brain injury or amputation, in an action sports or outdoor recreation accident. Its grants help with recovery costs, adaptive sports equipment and health and wellness programs.

Joseph Groh Foundation

The Joseph S. Groh Foundation helps people who have worked in the construction trades, and their family members, who live with a life-altering disability. It has funded wheelchair-accessible vans, home and bathroom remodels, assistive technology and rehab equipment for families in dozens of states.

Autistic People of Color Fund

The Autistic People of Color Fund gives microgrants of $100 to $500 directly to autistic people of color, for needs from survival costs to leisure. Applications from autistic people themselves, not parents or caregivers, are reviewed several times a year, with emergency requests reviewed monthly.

To find more private grants, search a directory such as GrantWatch’s disability grants list, or ask a local Center for Independent Living, which often knows about smaller local funds.

State Disability Grant Programs

Every state runs its own programs on top of the federal ones. These are some examples; search your state’s health and human services department for the full list where you live. Every state also has an Assistive Technology Act program that lends, demonstrates and helps you pay for devices.

California Department of Health Care Services

California offers In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), which pays for help with daily tasks at home, along with home and community-based services for people with developmental disabilities, the Genetically Handicapped Persons Program and an Assisted Living Waiver.

Texas In-Home and Family Support Program

The In-Home and Family Support Program gives people with physical disabilities, including disabilities from aging or a medical condition, a grant of up to $3,600 a year. You can spend it flexibly on equipment, minor home modifications and other services that help you keep living at home. Some areas have waiting lists.

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services

Montana supports people with disabilities through its developmental disabilities program, pre-employment transition services for students and independent living services across the state.

Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services

Connecticut’s Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, part of the Department of Aging and Disability Services, is the state’s vocational rehabilitation agency. It helps people with disabilities find and keep work, and can pay for transportation, vehicle modifications and other support needed to get to and do a job.

Colorado Assistive Technology Program

The Colorado Assistive Technology Act Program helps Coloradans with disabilities get devices such as communication aids, hearing aids and wheelchairs, through loans, demonstrations and help finding funding.

Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority

The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority awards mini-grants of up to $2,500 per person each year for equipment, supplies and services that improve independence and quality of life. An agency must apply on your behalf, and applications are reviewed monthly.

Programs at a Glance

Program	Type	Who it is for	What it pays for
SSDI	Federal benefit	People with a work history who can no longer work	Monthly income
SSI	Federal benefit	People with disabilities on low incomes	Monthly income, usually with Medicaid
Section 811	Federal housing	Adults with disabilities on very low incomes	Affordable rental housing with support
ABLE account	Tax-advantaged savings	Disability began before age 46	Qualified disability expenses
Medicare Part B	Federal insurance	People 65+ and SSDI recipients after 24 months	80% of prescribed medical equipment
Medicaid waivers	State and federal	People on low incomes, varies by state	Home care, modifications, equipment
VA SAH and SHA	Federal grant	Veterans with qualifying disabilities	Buying or adapting a home
FODAC	Private	Anyone who needs equipment	Refurbished medical equipment
Bryon Riesch Foundation	Private grant	People with neurological conditions	Van changes, wheelchairs, ramps
APOC Fund	Private microgrant	Autistic people of color	$100 to $500 for any need
Texas IHFS	State grant	Texans with physical disabilities	Up to $3,600 a year
Alaska Trust mini-grants	State grant	Trust beneficiaries, via an agency	Up to $2,500 a year

How to Apply for a Disability Grant

Start with benefits. Check whether you qualify for SSDI, SSI, Medicare or Medicaid first. Many grants expect you to have tried these, and some ask for proof.
Gather your documents. Most applications ask for proof of disability from a doctor, proof of income, and a quote or prescription for the item you need.
Be specific. Ask for a named item and amount, such as “a ceiling lift, quote attached”, rather than general help. Several foundations turn down open-ended requests.
Apply to more than one. Private grants are small and competitive. Applying to a few at once, or combining two grants for one large purchase, is common.
Watch the deadlines. Many foundations review applications only a few times a year.
Ask for help. Centers for Independent Living, state VR counselors and social workers help with applications for free.

When a Grant Application Is Not Accessible

Many grant applications are online forms or PDFs. If one does not work with your screen reader, keyboard or other assistive technology, contact the organization and ask for another format or for help. Programs that receive federal money are required to make their services accessible. If you run a grant program or nonprofit, check your application pages with a free website accessibility checker so the people you want to help can actually apply. The ADA website compliance guide explains what the law expects.

Final Words

A lot of financial help is available to people with disabilities in the U.S., from monthly benefits to one-off grants for a wheelchair or a ramp. Programs change and funds run out, so always check the official website before you apply, and never pay anyone to apply for a grant on your behalf. If the process feels overwhelming, a local Center for Independent Living or your state’s vocational rehabilitation agency can help you find the right programs and apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are SSDI and SSI grants?

Not in the usual sense. They are monthly benefits paid by the Social Security Administration, not one-time awards you apply for each year. Like grants, they do not have to be repaid when you qualify.

What is a disability loan?

A personal, mortgage or auto loan used for disability-related costs, such as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, a ramp or home modifications. Some states and nonprofits run low-interest loan programs for assistive technology. Unlike a grant, a loan has to be paid back, so compare it with the grants on this page first.

What is short-term disability insurance?

Insurance that replaces part of your income, often 40% to 70%, if an illness or injury that is not work-related stops you working for a limited time. It comes from an employer plan, a private policy or, in a few states, a state program.

How is short-term disability different from workers' compensation?

Short-term disability covers illness and injury that are not caused by your job. Workers' compensation covers injury and illness caused by your job, and also pays related medical bills.

How do I spot a disability grant scam?

Real government grants never charge a fee to apply or to "release" money, and a government agency will not contact you out of the blue to say you have won a grant. Apply only through official .gov sites or the organization's own website, and never share your bank details or Social Security number with someone who contacted you first.