Yesodot Resources: Jewish Disability Related Information - Online Resources. Yesodot provides family support, disability and special needs resources and information for Jewish families in the Greater Boston area.

Council for Jews with Special Needs
Information about the organization and comprehensive resources including articles and links. Excellent articles by Becca Hornstein
http://www.cjsn.org/

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Resources

The following are internet articles dealing with issues related to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah of a child with special needs:

A Bat Mitzvah for Jenny
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/47/story_4772_1.html?frameset=1&tory1D=&boardID-7512

A Community Basks In His Light
http://www.yesodot.org/about/ytechpress_2004/philadelphia_inq.htm

Frankie's "First Class" Bar Mitzvah
http://www.cjsn.org/articles_05.html

Jewish Lifecyle Events: Including Children with Developmental Disabilities
http://www.cjsn.org/articles_09.html

Planning A Special Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Go to the Jewishfamily.com website and search under "Special Bar Mitzvah".
http://www.jewishfamily.com/

Special B'Nai Mitzvah Resources
From the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education.
http://www.caje-co.org/adult/bnaimitzvah.htm

The Miracle of Todd's Bar Mitzvah
From the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education.
http://www.cjsn.org/articles_08.html

Jewish Blind

Jewish Braille Institute
Braille, talking books and large print books (with Jewish content or by a Jewish author) for people who are blind or visually impaired; free loan by mail.
http://www.jewishbraille.org

Jewish Heritage for the Blind
Large print and braille siddurs; megillahs, haggadahs; children's stories.
http://www.jhftb.org

Jewish Deaf

About.com's Jewish Deaf Links
Click on "religion" for annotated list of links concerning Jewish deaf issues
http://deafness.miningco.com/msubjew.htm

Jewishpeople.net
Links for Jews who are deaf or hard of hearing.
http://www.jewishpeople.net/deafandharof.html

Survival Signs for Jewish Vocabulary
List of basic sign language signs to be used in Jewish settings.
http://www.hometown.aol.com/bartzur/rlgn/vocab/srvivlsins.html

Wolk Center for Jewish Cultural Enrichment of the Deaf
List of basic sign language signs to be used in Jewish settings.
http://www.jewishpeople.net/deafandharof.html

Jewish Physical and Programmatic Accessibility Resources

Accessibility Checklist
Checklist for Jewish organizations to use in planning accessible events
http://www.jfcs.org/Services/Individuals_and_Couples/Individuals_and_Couples_Resource
_Library/Individuals_and_Couples_Articles/Accessibility_Checklist_for_Events_and_Meetings.asp

Ascending Towards Accessibility
Discussion of Torah portion Parshat Emor.
http://www.socialaction.com/michaelsascending.html

Jewish Family.com
From the website's home page search under "disability" or "special needs" for relevant articles.
http://www.jewishfamily.com

Temple B'Nai Shalom Resource List
Online article describing Jewish special needs web resources
http://uahc.org/congs/va/va004/disabilities.html

Major Movements of American Judaism

Each of the three major Jewish movements offer online information relating to Jews with disabilities.

Conservative Movement

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The Conservative Movement's website has a number of entries related to disabilities. From the website, enter "disabilities," "special needs" or "special education" in the search window. A few links are below.
http://www.urj.org

Accessibility Website
The Conservative Movement has an additional website with links to resources, articles and information regarding physical, attitudinal, and communication accessibility in synagogues, including resources for those with hearing and visual impairments, "sermon bites," a complete online audio haggadah, a letter from the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, low cost solutions for barrier removal, an article, "Opening the Gates of Prayer . . . . So That All May Worship" and links to Birthright trips for youth with disabilities.
http://www.uscj.org/accessibility

Jewish Special Education Resources, Materials and Organizations
http://www.uscj.org/Jewish_Special_Educa5273.html

Orthodox Movement

Orthodox Union
The Orthodox Movement's website has a number of entries related to disabilities. From the website, "disabilities," "special needs" or "special education" in the search window. A few links are below.
http://www.ou.org

National Jewish Council for the Disabled
The NJCD is composed of 4 major parts: National Resource Center is a clearing-house which provides resource information, referral services, consultation, and direct services to individuals, families and agencies; National Center for Inclusion promotes, facilitates, and provides for the inclusion of all children and adults through its departments of school and educational services, vocational resources and job placement, and clinical services; Yachad provides unique social, educational and recreational "mainstreamed" programs for individuals (ages 8-40) with developmental disabilities; Our Way provides both mainstreamed and self-contained educational and recreational activities for people who are hard of hearing or deaf; NADSEC, the National Association of Day Schools for Exceptional Children is a newly formed association of yeshivot and day schools across the United States and Canada providing programs for students with varying special needs.
http://www.ou.org/ncsy/njcd/

"Welcoming Jews with Disabilities" (PDF)
Comprehensive article about inclusion with specific examples of programmatic and physical accessibility.
www.ou.org/pdf/ja/5766/fall66/WelcomingJewsDisab.pdf (PDF)

Reform Movement

Union of American Hebrew Congregations
The Reform Movement's website has a number of entries related to disabilities. From the website, enter "disabilities," "special needs," or "special education" in the search window. A few specific program and article links are below.
http://www.urj.org

"Al Pi Darco: According To Their Ways"
"Al Pi Darko" is an informative book about welcoming Jewish children with special needs into religious school and includes Bar/Bat Mitzvah information. The link below is for ordering the book.
http://urj.org/jfc/resources/#cpr13512

"Inclusion of Jews with Disabilities in Your Congregation"
This article discusses the importance of the inclusion of people with disabilities into congregations as well as strategies to make congregations accessible for people with disabilities.
http://urj.org/inside/december_2006/iinclusion_of_jews_with_disabilities/

Special Education
The Department of Jewish Family Concerns webpage has information about special education, including frequently asked questions and links to URJ and other resources.
http://urj.org/educate/specialneeds/

Synagogue Accessibility
Lehyiot is the Reform movement's synagogue accessiblity program.
http://uahc.org/jfc/lehiyot.shtml

Online Discussion Groups

Jewish Special Needs Discussion Group
http://www.geocities.com/jewishgroups/

Yahoo Jewish Special Needs Discussion Groups
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=jewish+special+needs

Special Education

Auerbach CAJE
Special needs links from the Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education in Philadelphia. Articles on adapting seders; links; Hebrew decoding inventory; glossary of special education terms; teacher's guide to ADHD; publications.
http://www.acaje.org/specialNeeds/specialNeedsResources.shtml

Consortium for Special Needs Educators in Central Agencies for Jewish Education
At the homepage click on "Special Needs" to go to the Consortium for Special Educators in Central Agencies. "So That All May Study Torah" survey results and recommendations; Call to Action; articles; resource list; legislation/litigation info.
http://www.jesna.org

Educating Jewish Children with Special Needs
Resources from the Central Agencies for Jewish Education (CAJE) website including articles and curriculum bank.
http://www.caje.org/learn/special.htm/

Including Children with Mental Retardation in the Religious Community
Resources from the Central Agencies for Jewish Education (CAJE) website including articles and curriculum bank.
http://www.cec.sped.org/

Include Me In: Teaching The Exceptional Child in Jewish Early Childhood Programs
Article with info on attitudes; steps for successful inclusion; teaching tips; implementing disability awareness activities in the classroom; a good bibliography and glossary of terms.
http://www.caje.org/learn/a_include.htm

Mercaz Harmony (Gan Harmony)
Israeli organization website with links to international web sites; "Ask the Experts"; E-mail discussion group for teachers and therapists; monthly case study; link to web site for siblings; parents' e-mail discussion group
http://www.ganharmony.org

P'TACH
Describes programs, chapters and publications; articles re learning disabilities issues
http://www.ptach.org

Special Education Handbook
The Bureau of Jewish Education in San Francisco has written a handbook for professionals interested in starting a special education in a synagogue school. Logon to the site and look for instructions to download the handbook.
http://www.bjesf.org/specialintro.html

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Resources: Jewish Disability Related Information Online Resources

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