In February we celebrate the presidents that made our country great. One of our country's crowning achievements is the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in public life.
Federal laws are in place that protect individuals with disabilities in schools, recreation, employment, and the general public. As a society, we are mandated to provide for the inalienable needs of individuals with disabilities, providing physical accommodations to allow access to public programs and places.
Yet, our faith communities are exempt from the same legal requirements to be inclusive of individuals with disabilities. And while many faith-based communities worldwide are beginning to address the topic of inclusion, much work remains to make inclusion in our sacred spaces a reality.
It's simple: we recognize the need to "do the right thing" and provide opportunities for all members of our communities to have access to religious and cultural life. Faith is so important to the being of every individual and the recognition that individuals with disabilities and their families have these same needs is now being recognized.
There are coalitions nationwide focusing on the need to support and advocate for inclusive ministries. Across the religious continuum, and throughout all denominations of the Jewish faith, people are coming together to foster inclusive environments for individuals with disabilities and their families, raising awareness of its importance and raising the bar on the expectation to be inclusive. The new awareness and recognition of the abilities, strengths and gifts that all members of our community hold are leading congregations forward.
When I was a child, I vividly recall the impact of having students with disabilities present in my elementary school for the very first time. Their presence helped shaped who I am today. These students inspired and taught me that they had gifts to share with others - friendship, sense of humor, and compassion. The lessons I learned from them were equally valuable to those they were learning in class.
Now imagine the impact inclusion in our faith communities can have on all of us; individuals with disabilities and their families finding a place and all of us creating community with one another.
In addition to honoring our presidential forbears, February also marks national Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month. This initiative was created six years ago to raise disability awareness and support efforts to foster inclusion in Jewish communities worldwide. It is based on the recognition that all members of the community should have the same opportunities to engage fully in Jewish life - in our synagogues, schools, camps, institutional organizations, and greater Jewish community.
A family recently shared the following experience with me: "Now we know we have a synagogue community where we feel very welcomed. In my opinion, when it comes to families with children who have special needs, it is very simple: a synagogue can either close the door, or open it. When the door is closed, that family which is trying to raise their children as Jews may be lost. When the door is opened, that same family will become engaged in the community." How true this is.
Jewish people with physical and developmental disabilities in Essex, Morris, Sussex, Union, and parts of Somerset County are very fortunate. The organized Jewish community, through the MetroWest ABLE program of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, is a national leader in working toward the full inclusion, both physically and in our attitudes and practices, of all members of our community.
For more information on local programs and services for individuals with disabilities and their families or for community-wide program information on Jewish Disability Awareness Month, visit www.metrowestABLE.org or contact Rebecca Wanatick, Community Inclusion Coordinator, at (973) 929-3129 or firstname.lastname@example.org. For more information on inclusion efforts in other faith-based communities, visit the NJ Coalition for Inclusive Ministries at http://rwjms.rutgers.edu/boggscenter/projects/NJCoalitionforInclusiveMinistries.html.
Community Inclusion Coordinator
Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ