10 Ways to Celebrate Jewish Disability Awareness Month with Your Synagogue

With the start of Jewish Disability Awareness Month under way, we can start to consider ways that we can commit to inclusion and celebrate with our synagogues. 

Coordinator of the URJ-Ruderman Family Foundation Partnership for Inclusion of People with Disabilities, Rabbi Edythe Held Mencher, recently created a list to help Jews across the world come together to help all feel included and commit to the needs of all abilities and disabilities. 

Here's how you can commit to inclusion with your synagogue:

1. State your Congregational commitment to inclusion - Stating your commitment to inclusion helps your congregation work together to create a plan of action for a more inclusive future. 
2. Use "people first" language in all communication - Recognize that a disability does not define a person through spoken and written language sets an example for all and how they should address inclusion. 
3. Ensure that all members in the congregation, including those with disabilities, can contribute to congregational life in meaningful ways - Everyone has something to contribute to congregational life. Invite all members to be involved with events and services.
4. Rethink accessibility in your congregation - Are there any changes around your synagogue you could make to fit the needs of others?
5. Plan an event - Whether it's an event that helps educate members of your congregation on inclusions, or include children of all abilities and disabilities in your Passover seder with the new Gateways Haggadah. 
6. Display clear signage - All signs in your building should clearly indicate accommodations such as elevators, wheelchair-accessible restrooms, parking spaces and seating, large-print materials, and other assisting technologies for the deaf and hard of hearing.
7. Publicize your congregation's commitment to inclusion - Let others know how you are making inclusive improvements to your congregation and how others can do the same. 
8. Provide seating at all events - Making seating for the disabled available at all events provides a welcoming feeling to members of your congregation and those who join you for special events. 
9. Ensure that printed materials are accessible to all congregants - Make large-print copies of prayer books at services and offer electronic versions for individuals for whom the large-print version is not sufficient. 
10. Invite those with a disability to speak to your congregation - Ask congregants or guest speakers with disabilities to discuss and demonstrate the ways accommodations make it possible for them to live full lives to help build understanding. 

You can read the full article and share your congregation's inclusive commitments here. 

About The Gateways Haggadah: A Seder for the Whole Family

Welcome families with children of all abilities and disabilities to a Passover celebration that is accessible for the whole family. Step-by-step directions for every element of the Passover seder are clearly illustrated with more than 70 vibrant photographs. Each prayer’s meaning is illuminated by the use of over 150 picture communication symbols developed by Mayer-Johnson,™ the leading creator of symbol-adapted special education materials to assist individuals in overcoming their speech, language, and learning challenges. In this way, seder participants can experience Passover through clear, direct language and through rich and varied images.

This easy-to-hold, concise Haggadah is respectful to all participants, whatever their abilities, and ensures that all can take part meaningfully in a complete Passover seder that lasts about 30 minutes. 

Purchase your copy now!

Gateways: Access to Jewish Education (www.jgateways.org) provides high quality special education services to enable children with diverse learning needs to participate meaningfully in Jewish life.