NAI (Nonfiction Access Initiative): Direct Access Fund
Small targeted grants from the International Documentary Association for disabled nonfiction media makers, covering access accommodations that would otherwise go unfunded.
Overview
The Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI) Direct Access Fund is administered by the International Documentary Association (IDA) in partnership with FWD-Doc, an organisation focused on disability inclusion in documentary filmmaking. Launched in 2022, the NAI was created to address a structural gap: disabled nonfiction media makers face specific financial barriers related to access accommodations that standard production grants do not cover, and there was no dedicated fund to address those costs.
The Direct Access Fund awards small, targeted grants specifically for access accommodations and services that would otherwise go unfunded. It supports disabled media makers who practice fact-based storytelling across documentary, nonfiction podcasting, new media, immersive media, and related nonfiction formats.
What It Funds
The Direct Access Fund covers accommodation and access-related costs that disabled filmmakers need to do their work -- costs that fall outside standard production budgets and that other grants typically do not recognise as eligible expenses. Examples of funded accommodations include:
- Sign language interpreters for interviews, set communications, or production meetings
- Captioning services for internal production use or post-production
- Audio description production
- Assistive technology for filming, editing, or audio work
- Personal care attendants during production
- Accessible transport for field production
- Other specific access needs identified by the applicant
The fund operates on the principle that access accommodations are not an optional extra -- they are the infrastructure that allows disabled filmmakers to do their work at all. By covering these costs directly, the NAI removes a concrete barrier that has historically excluded disabled practitioners from the nonfiction field.
Eligibility
The fund is open to disabled media makers engaged in fact-based nonfiction storytelling. A broad range of nonfiction formats are eligible: documentary film, nonfiction podcasting, new media, immersive storytelling, and other types of nonfiction practice. Both US and international applicants have been supported -- in the first cohort of 21 projects, applicants came from 25 different countries.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling or periodic basis. Filmmakers should check the IDA website for current submission windows.
Who Should Apply
Disabled nonfiction media makers -- documentary filmmakers, nonfiction podcasters, immersive media artists -- who face specific access accommodation costs that their current production budget does not cover and that standard grants do not recognise. The fund is designed to be practical and targeted: applicants should identify specific access needs and costs rather than applying for general production support.
See Also
For documentary filmmakers building a production budget that incorporates accessibility considerations, the Production Schedule Calculator can help structure the overall timeline. For an overview of IDA's broader filmmaker support programs, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack.
