Did you know February is Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month? Established in 2009, the goal is to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities so they can fully engage in every facet of Jewish life.

Chabad has wonderful participation ideas that we can try:

• Host an Inclusion Day at your temple or community center
• Arrange for an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter to be at your next event
• Ensure that people who use wheelchairs, walkers, and canes can access the bimah
• Acquire at least one large-print siddur and one Braille siddur
• Install written and Braille signage 
• Learn and teach your community how to sign six phrases in ASL
• Invite a person with a disability to speak to your community
• Invite people with disabilities to participate in the preparation for kiddush and meal functions
• Extend personal invitations to people who may be on the margins of society
• Invite people from group homes or your local Jewish program for adults with disabilities to services

My favorite tip? Promote inclusion by using social media with hashtags #JDAIM17 and #JUSTASK (can be done even if you’re totally unaffiliated). We need to remember that people with disabilities are handi-capable, not handicapped! Let’s make our communities warm and welcoming to everyone.