L Tuthall (they/them) and Audre Wirtanen (she/her) are co-founders and co-directors of Hyp+Access. Throughout this grant program, Hyp+Access provided sliding scale and/or free community programs that did and did not focus on art. L, Audre, and other Hyp+Access artists in the CRNY Artist Employment Program were integral in supporting Tribeworks’ infrastructural healthcare benefits implementation, but due to circumstances not considered by CRNY, these healthcare benefits negatively impacted Hyp+Access AEP employees, which made the collaboration shift significantly. All employees are multiply disabled with multiple chronic conditions needing long-term management.

Though what CRNY sought out to provide did not ultimately support Hyp’s sick and disabled collaborators, the opportunity for unrestricted funding (including salaries and benefits) allowed Hyp+Access to shift into programs and design that were (1) sustainable, (2) based on community need, (3) did not rely on artists who were unable to provide capacities to the organization.

Hyp+Access is now gearing up to launch its first disability-led, patient-centered medical and alternative care clinic in NYC in 2025. Without this funding and the ability for Hyp’s directors to do what the organization truly needed, its groundbreaking care model would have taken longer to develop, and may have not been possible.

This highlights how VITAL unrestricted funding and no expectations of outcomes are as requirements of future, similar programs.

Hyp+Access’s mission is care access and justice for all people, with a particular focus on supporting Hyps, or people with connective tissue related conditions and disabilities. They aim to build a community movement, change narratives, save lives, and ultimately introduce new models of care that make current systems more liveable and accountable.