- Welcome
- Worship
-
Community
- Bereavement/Chevra Kadisha/Cemetery
- Support Groups
- A Day of Blessings for Our Community2
- Disability Inclusion
- Men's Club
- Music at AAC
- Sisterhood
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Social Action
- 2021 MLK Power Pack Program
- ALIVE! Update
- Bikkur Cholim "Visiting the Sick"
- 5780 Special Focus
- 5779 Special Focus: Refugees and Immigrants
- 5778 Special Focus - Safe Spaces
- 5777 Special Focus: Racial Injustice
- Ongoing Projects and Places to Volunteer
- B'nai Mitzvah Project Resources
- Gun Violence Prevention
- Young Families
- Youth Groups
- Learn
- Donate
- Resources
Disability Inclusion
Disability Inclusion
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 Barbara Elkin, committee chair, 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 also has an audio loop and we offer assistive listening devices.
- An audio loop is scheduled for installation in the Flax Family Chapel in summer 2020; currently, amplification is used for all services and classes in the Flax Chapel.
- 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.
- Monthly parent coffees support parents of children with disabilities in the congregation. See the sidebar on this page for coffee dates.
REQUEST AN ACCOMMODATION
MORE INFORMATION ON INCLUSION
EVENTS
Jewish Disability and Inclusion Awareness Month | February
Disability and Inclusion Shabbat | February 21-23
Thu, March 4 2021
20 Adar 5781
Jewish Disability and Inclusion Month, February 2021
Inclusion Month at Agudas Achim
Inclusion Shabbat
Saturday, February 6 | 9:30 AM
All are welcome to learn from guest speaker Meredith Polsky of Matan, an organization focused on creating and sustaining inclusive settings in educational, communal and spiritual aspects of Jewish life.
Inclusion Brunch
Sunday, February 7 | 10 AM
Sisterhood and Disability Inclusion Committee welcome all to a virtual brunch featuring AAC Past President Bob Meyers, author of "Like Normal People." A former Washington Post reporter, Bob's topic is: "The Story of My Younger Brother with Intellectual Disabilities and Our Family’s Struggle to Help Him Achieve a Normal Life."
In 1979, ABC broadcast the movie version of "Like Normal People," starring young Shaun Cassidy as Roger Meyers, Linda Purl as Roger’s fiancée, and James Keach as our Bob Meyers. View the movie on YouTube.
Meeting ID: 992 9259 5362
Passcode: 728555
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
Monthly Coffees
to Support Families with Disabilities
All parents are welcome -- from those who aren't yet sure if their family is dealing with disabilities or other challenges to those who have significant experience and advice to share. We welcome families dealing with, but not limited to, ADHD, sensory processing, autism spectrum, food allergies, mental health concerns, physical disabilities, and anyone else who would like to join.