National Challenge Supports Accessible Community Gardens and Wellness Initiatives

Communities across Idaho may have a new opportunity to expand accessible, inclusive

spaces that promote health, wellness, and social connection.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), recently launched the Cultivating Connected Communities Challenge, a national competition designed to support community garden projects that prioritize accessibility, healthy eating, and inclusion for people with disabilities and older adults.

Building on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s People’s Garden initiative, the challenge recognizes the important role community gardens can play in improving food access, reducing the risk of chronic disease, and strengthening community connections. The program specifically seeks to support projects that address barriers often faced by people with disabilities, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and older adults.

Funding awarded through the challenge may be used for improvements such as raised accessible garden beds, adaptive gardening tools, inclusive programming, and accessibility enhancements that go beyond minimum requirements. Organizers are encouraged to develop sustainable models that reduce social isolation, support wellness, and create long-term community impact.

The opportunity has generated interest among organizations involved in accessible recreation, community wellness, aging services, nutrition, and disability inclusion. Potential collaborations could bring together partners working in community gardens, adaptive gardening, aging in place initiatives, and inclusive community engagement.

Notably, the national announcement highlighted the importance of involving people with disabilities in the planning and design process. The announcement featured comments from Idaho's Dana Gover of the Northwest ADA Center–Idaho, emphasizing that seeking input from people with disabilities helps designers move beyond basic accessibility standards and create spaces that better serve a wide range of community needs.

With application timelines moving quickly, organizations interested in developing accessible and inclusive community garden projects are encouraged to explore partnership opportunities and review the challenge requirements.

For more information, visit the ACL Cultivating Connected Communities Challenge website.

If you would like to involved locally, contact Dana Gover at dananwadacenteridaho@gmail.com