Disability & Inclusion

The Disability and Inclusion Committee helps create a community that welcomes and includes children, teens, and adults with invisible and visible special needs. We offer discussions and speakers. We support families with members who have special needs, such as individuals with Tourette Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and more.

We collaborate with Temple Emunah’s Director of Congregational Learning to ensure our youngsters and teens know what it means to reach out to those who have trouble reading Hebrew or making friends. For example, we created a Tu Bishvat seder. We highlighted the apples on the plate; while they are all apples, they are all different. Apples come in a variety – Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, MacIntosh, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp – all are apples, yet they are all different. The same is true of all of us – we’re all people, but we are all different – we like different apples; some can easily read Hebrew, while others stumble over each letter. Whatever our differences, it’s important for us to all come together and honor our differences. This is how our youth learn to become part of an inclusive community.

If you are interested in joining our committee, contact Doreen Grossman.

Temple Emunah provides these helpful items:

• Handicapped accessible entrance
• Braille siddur
• 3-volume, large-print, paperback siddur
• Music stands to support your siddur or humash as needed
• Eyeglasses from pharmacy – just in case you left your pair at home
• Audio aids
• Earplugs
• Individual and gender neutral accessible bathrooms for those who have a family member or caretaker or use a wheelchair or walker
• Specially marked seats for wheelchairs & walkers to fit next to the seats. Some pews have space to sit with family and/or friends with your wheelchair or walker.

Resources

• Research Institute for Learning and Development – Specializes in ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, & Executive Function challenges. Neuropsychological and educational evaluations focus on child’s strengths and challenges.

• Richard Lavoie –  Learning Disabilities Consultant

• Dr. Ross Greene – Collaborative and Proactive Solutions

• Dr. Jerome Schultz – Anxiety Disorders Expert. Author: Nowhere to Hide: Why Kids with ADHD and LD Hate School & What We Can Do About It

• Barbara Wilson – Author and Co-Founder of Wilson Language Training for Dyslexia

• Drs. Bennett and Sally Shaywitz – The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity