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Disability Inclusion
Upcoming Events
Disability and Inclusion Shabbat Weekend
Friday, February 10 - Saturday, February 11
Agudas Achim's Disability and Inclusion Committee invites you to join Agudas Achim for its 6th annual Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month Shabbat. This year, we are bringing awareness and attention to hard-of-hearing, and d/Deaf people within the Jewish community.
On Friday night, Agudas Achim member Adrian Marcos will be our Kabbalat Shabbat speaker. Adrian will speak about their experiences as a hard-of-hearing Jew and the ways that we "hear" Torah even without our ears. On Saturday morning, Rachel Dubin, a profoundly deaf woman, will give a speech during Shabbat Services titled We Are All Created B'tselem Elohim: My Experiences as a Deaf Woman in the Jewish Community.
An ASL interpreter will be available for the service, as well as designated seating that will allow d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees to sit in easy sight of the interpreter. The Dora and Jacob C. Cohen Sanctuary is equipped with a T-Coil; for those that prefer them, assisting listening devices are also available for use.
Phones and tablets may be used to activate speech to text apps.
ReelAbilities Film Festival - Amazing Grace
Sunday, February 26 at 4 p.m., Beth El Hebrew Congregation | Click to register
Agudas Achim's Disability Inclusion Committee is once again partnering with Beth El Hebrew Congregation's Disability Inclusion Committee and Brotherhood for the ReelAbilities Film Festival. This year's film is Amazing Grace, a documentary that follows the life of talented musician Grace Fisher after she became quadriplegic at 17 and the ways she persevered to find new ways to create art.
Agudas Achim's Disability Inclusion Committee is once again partnering with Beth El Hebrew Congregation's Disability Inclusion Committee and Brotherhood for the ReelAbilities Film Festival. This year's film is Amazing Grace, a documentary that follows the life of talented musician Grace Fisher after she became quadriplegic at 17 and the ways she persevered to find new ways to create art.
AAC member Ruth Ruskin will co-lead a post-film discussion.
Disability Inclusion
At Agudas Achim we are committed to being a truly inclusive spiritual community. We welcome the participation, leadership, and friendship of all individuals without regard to physical, emotional, cognitive, sensory, or communicative ability.
The Disability Inclusion Committee is working to further expand inclusion and access at Agudas Achim and we value input and contributions to this effort. If you are interested in being on the committee, want more information about the work of the committee, or would like to be on an email list about activities or events related to Disability Inclusion, please email Committee Co-Chair Gayle Weiss, or call the synagogue office, 703-998-6460.
The Disability Inclusion Committee is working to further expand inclusion and access at Agudas Achim and we value input and contributions to this effort. If you are interested in being on the committee, want more information about the work of the committee, or would like to be on an email list about activities or events related to Disability Inclusion, please email Committee Co-Chair Gayle Weiss, or call the synagogue office, 703-998-6460.
HOW WE PRACTICE INCLUSION AT AGUDAS ACHIM
- Our facility is wheelchair accessible, including the bima. The Cohen Sanctuary has wheelchair spaces with designated companion seats.
- The Cohen Sanctuary and Flax Family Chapel have audio loops (T-Coils); we also offer assistive listening devices for those who would prefer them.
- Lightweight, large-print mahzorim are available for the High Holy Days; and lightweight, large-print copies of Siddur Lev Shalem and the Etz Hayim Chumash are available for Shabbat.
- Designation of priority aisle seating for Shabbat services in the Cohen Sanctuary will soon be available for persons with mobility issues.
- It is the practice at Agudas Achim that we label allergens at all synagogue food events. Individuals with food allergies are permitted to store a small amount of kosher food in the synagogue kitchen for personal consumption while participating in Agudas Achim events. More on food allergy practices can be found here.
- When possible, supports and accommodations are provided to children with disabilities in the religious school.
- A staffed “break” room is available during religious school hours to support students who need space for self calming, sensory regulation, or to de-stress.
REQUEST AN ACCOMMODATION
To request an accommodation at Agudas Achim, please fill out the Agudas Achim Disability Inclusion Questionnaire, available in a paper copy from the office, or contact the Disability Inclusion Committee for a confidential conversation.
MORE INFORMATION ON INCLUSION
EVENTS
Jewish Disability and Inclusion Awareness Month | February
Fri, December 1 2023
18 Kislev 5784
AAC T-Coil
The Cohen Sanctuary and Flax Family Chapel are equipped with t-coils. If your hearing aids have been outfitted with a "T" twitch, then you can make use of the t-coil by doing one of the following:
1) Manually cycle through your hearing aid programs. In most hearing aids, this can be achieved by holding down the volume control.
2) Trigger the t-coil setting through your hearing aid's app.
Nationwide Inclusion Programs
Jewish organizations in North America are sponsoring more than 30 fantastic programs on inclusion in February. Find them on JewishTogether.org.
Some highlights include:
• Inclusion for overnight and day camps
• Teens may earn a certificate for attending 2 Yachad InclYOUsion Education Workshops
• Smart Business: The Case for Inclusive Hiring
• Fighting stigma with effective storytelling
Fri, December 1 2023 18 Kislev 5784
