Accessible Services Information
Is your synagogue (or the local synagogue in your area) “accessible”? What does that mean to be accessible? To me, it means that it is open to a wide variety of people with different backgrounds, whether it is a hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical limitation, cognitive delay, mental illness, etc. In my mind, I would also include singles, single-parent families, gay and lesbian people, converts, couples where one person is not Jewish, Jews of color, etc.
Various organizations and branches of Judaism are working hard to promote more awareness and accessibility. For this column, I will focus on the various projects related to “disabilities”.
I was recently part of a committee in Washington that is planning a city-wide “Disability Awareness Shabbat”. As part of my duties on the committee, I recently collected the following resources and websites that I thought might be of interest you.
N.O.D. [National Organization on Disabilities]
www.nod.org
This organization has a national program called the “Accessible Congregations Campaign”. Synagogues can apply for a special certificate, showing that they are attempting to open their synagogue to a variety of disabilities. The website also has an “On-line Database”, where you can find synagogues in your area that are “certified accessible”.
Jewish Education Service of North America
www.jesna.org/cgi-bin/publications.php3
This organization has published two booklets, “So That All May Study Torah . . . Communal Provision of Jewish Education for Students with Special Needs” (1995) [pdf file to download], and “Preliminary Survey and Listing of Jewish Special Needs Programs and Classes in North America” (1991) [order online, free].
Council for Jews with Special Needs, Phoenix, AZ
www.cjsn.org/drdja.html
This organization published a “Disabilities Resource Directory” (1999). Within the same directory or in a separate book, there is a wonderful listing of Synagogues & Organizations that provide access for Deaf people, including interpreted services, religious school, tutoring, social service agencies, etc. You can purchase a copy by sending $25 to 32 W. Coolidge, Suite 102, Phoenix, AZ 85013-2773.
Each of the three major branches of Judaism also has some type of disability awareness initiative.
UAHC [Union of American Hebrew Congregations] – Reform
uahc.org/4fc/resources.shtml
This organization has a special booklet for reform synagogues trying to become certified, “Lehiyot: Access to Judaism – Guidelines for Congregational Certification”.
USCJ [United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism]
www.uscj.org/accessibility
This website has a list of publications about disability. They also have “sermon bites”, which are quotes from the Torah and Talmud about disability, for rabbis to use in their sermons. USCJ also has a Directory of Synagogues. In the “key”, it has special symbols to indicate which synagogues are accessible to physically disabled, deaf, etc. You can purchase a copy for $28, by writing to 155 Fifth Ave, Room 207, NY, NY 10010.
NCJD [National Jewish Council for the Disabled] – Orthodox
www.ou.ora/ncsy/nicd
NJCD is a part of the National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY). They sponsor various programs such as National Resource Center, National Center for Inclusion, Yachad, and “Our Way’. Many of the readers are probably most familiar with this last program. There was no mention on their website of a directory of accessible orthodox shuts.
I feel heartened by this type of information above. As the Jewish Community-at-large becomes more aware of and sensitive to the needs of various groups, it makes it easier for us in the “Deaf World” to break down barriers of communication access. If you have any additional re sources to share, please contact me at [email protected].
