In high school, I started volunteering with an organization which paired high school or middle school volunteers with children with special needs. This organization is known as the Friendship Circle, which has chapters nationwide and began in the Midwest. Friendship Circle (FC) is organized through Chabad, a religious Jewish foundation. As such, many of the families involved in the Friendship Circle, as volunteers or participants, are Jewish. Furthermore, the activities and some programming incorporate Jewish holidays & rituals, such as the Sabbath or Passover. In keeping with the intent of the program, activities were modified for each individual’s need. While volunteering at Friendship Circle, I had come to learn of a family that was a member of my synagogue. Their eldest daughter was a participant in Friendship Circle, although I had never seen her at synagogue programming or services.
One of my closest family friends had a similar situation. The younger daughter, six years older than me, is on the autism spectrum. We had gone to the same school and our families attended the synagogue, leading me to believe I would see her at services. However, this was not always the case, which made me curious about how synagogue differed from school.
Furthermore, Judaism involves a number of lifecycle events. These include a circumcision or baby naming (relatively soon after birth), along with a bar or bat mitzvah, typically between 12 and 13 years of age. While Friendship Circle had programs for those between 3 and 21 years, there was minimal programming for these momentous life events.
After high school, I periodically continued volunteering with FC. This year, during winter break, I was once again able to volunteer with them, this time in Illinois. The questions I had previously about Judaism and its accommodation & practice remained. Even more, my synagogue’s practices in New Jersey had changed over the years. A family had been bringing their son (with developmental disabilities) weekly to services. Another individual with intellectual disabilities had also started coming to services weekly independently, and a sticker with Greater MetroWest ABLE appeared on the building’s doors.
The culmination of these experiences led me to examine religious practices and how they may be modified for different circumstances. For example, a boy in the NICU can be circumcised after the initial 8 days, at a point only when a physician deems it safe for the baby. However, the bar/bat mitzvah event brings a number of different challenges. It is customary for the child to lead prayers for the congregation and read from the bible, all in a different language. In Christianity, this event may be similar to a confirmation.
This encouraged me to think of and learn about how lifecycle events and daily rituals are to be accommodated for all, as is done through Universal Design for Learning. Sitting in a service that is typically quiet with an individual who stims can be uncomfortable. While steps should be taken for acceptance of some noise, spaces should also be constructed where individuals can participate in their environment.
Here are some other basic suggestions to support those with disabilities:
- Ensure wheelchair accessible
- Adult changing tables
- Large print and braille materials
- Sign language interpretation
- Sensory/quiet room
- Personnel and material resources for lifecycle events
One tenant/foundation of many religions is the recognition that individuals connect to their higher power, in their own way. This does not differ for those with disabilities. For some, this connection takes place through prayer; others through movement, art or any other activity. While some religions dictate practices take a certain form, they recognize a time and place.
This allows for programming outside of the traditional worship, such as art, running, bicycling or volunteering. Some of these activities already take place in religious organizations and need only an outreach component to become more inclusive.
For more information about religious inclusion:
Video: Praying with Lior on Vimeo
