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https://www.respectability.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/JDAIM-Guide-2023.docx

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A Flat for Rent (English) By Leah Goldberg I Children's Read Aloud I Best Fable for Kids

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February 1-28, 2022

Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) is a unified effort among Jewish organizations and communities worldwide to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities and those who love them. JDAIM is a call to action to each one of us in accordance with our Jewish values, honoring the gifts and strengths that we each possess. Established in 2009 by the Jewish Special Education International Consortium, JDAIM is observed each February.

This year is the 14th annual observation of JDAIM.

Virtual Town Hall Meeting

Sunday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. via Zoom

Join JFS, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, and RespectAbility for a virtual town hall forum on disability and inclusion in our Jewish Community.

This 1.5-hour discussion is open to everyone, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend.

JFS Disability Liaison Amanda Thomas, Ph.D., will join moderators from RespectAbility to lead the webinar.

ASL and CART will be provided. Contact Amanda Thomas at
amthomas@jfslv.org with questions.

Watch the video

Supported Decision-Making: A Practical Alternative to Guardianship

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Watch the video

Diability Pride vs. Disability Fix

The JDAIM Mission

The mission of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month is to unite Jewish communities worldwide to raise awareness and champion the rights of all Jews to be included and to participate in all aspects of Jewish life like anyone else.

Photos from Jewish Federations of North America's 2020 Jewish Disability Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.

Check below for some practical tips on how and why to observe JDAIM on your own or with your congregation.

WHY YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN JDAIM

6 PRACTICAL WAYS TO RECOGNIZE JDAIM IN YOUR SYNAGOGUE

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Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month | Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley

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Watch and discuss a film such as 'Float' or 'Wonder'- there are tons of recommended films in the JDAIM 2021 guide.

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Choose a book from the JDAIM 2021 guide for your teaming team or students!

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Matan's Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) Lesson Plans are designed for Congregational School and Jewish Day School educators.

With this resource, any teacher can guide their students through important themes, interactive activities and meaningful Jewish discussions about disability.

The lesson plans are divided into 3 sections: Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 3rd to 5th grade and Middle and High School. Each section contains various options so that you can decide which is the best fit for your particular students.

Questions? Contact [email protected]

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Matan's Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) Lesson Plans are designed for Congregational School and Jewish Day School educators. With this resource, any teacher can guide their students through important themes, interactive activities and meaningful Jewish discussions about disability.

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Highlight Strengths with a Student Strengths Chain

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Highlight Strengths with a Student Strengths Chain

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Building awareness with all kids to help them better understand the world around them is a should be a priority for schools. It is quite normal for kids to be curious about other children who may use special materials / equipment or behave/ learn differently. It is our role as parents, teachers, and citizens to support the kids in their understanding of these differences. Social Emotional Learning under the guidelines of CASEL should be a pillar in your school plan.

Philosophy
Special Education: Promoting More Inclusion at Your School Disability Awareness- Resources CASEL guide
Materials

Disability Awareness Activity Packet-Activities and Resources for Teaching Students About Disabilities
Understanding Disabilities Disabilities Awareness Teacher Toolkit DISABILITY 101: Increasing Disability Awareness and Sensitivity
Teacher's Reference Book - Special Stories for Disability Awareness: Stories and Activities for Teachers

by Mal Leicester, Jane Dover (Contributions by)

Parenting resources
Disability Awareness: 10 Things Parents Should Teach Their Kids About Disabilities Teaching Your Child About Peers With Special Needs walk a mile in their shoes (Bullying Awareness)
Books
The AUTISM ACCEPTANCE BOOK STARABELLA NARRATED PICTURE BOOKS WITH MUSIC (Ages 2-8) Elementary Books
"Andy and His Yellow Frisbee" by Mary Thompson Pre-k -3rd
"Be Good to Eddie Lee " by Virginia Filling Pre-k -3rd
"Arnie & the New Kid " by Nancy Carlson Pre-k -3rd
"Danny and the Merry-go-Round" by Nan Holcomb Pre-k -3rd
"Let's Talk about It" by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos Pre-K - 3rd
"Leo the Late Bloomer" by Robert Kraus Pre-k -3rd
"Fair and Square" by Nan Holcomb 1st - 2nd
"I'm like You, You're like Me" by Cindy Gainer 1st - 2nd
"We can do it! by Laura Dwight 1st - 2nd
"Rolling Along: The story of Taylor and his Wheelchair" by Jamee Heelan 1st - 5th
"Adam and the Magic Marble" by Adam and Carol Buehrens 2nd - 6th
Middle and High School Disability Awareness Book Review
"are you alone on purpose?" By Nancy Werlin. Allison and Adam are twins but Adam has Autism and Allison is gifted. Their parents start going to synagogue and there they meet Harry, the Rabbi's son, who is a bully and very mean to Adam. When Harry is injured and ends up in a wheelchair he becomes more vulnerable and Allison and Harry become friends. This is a moving story about learning about disabilities but toward the end there are a few cuss words. The story itself is marvelous, but due to some harsh language it is more for high school students.

"Don't Stop The Music" by Robert Perske. This novel is exciting and a fun adventure that teaches about physical disabilities and perceptions of able-bodied individuals toward people with disabilities. It has a crime mystery imbedded in a disability awareness book. This book would be wonderful for middle school students as well as young high school students.

"head above water" by S.L. Rottman. This novel is about a 16-year-old girl with an 18-year-old brother with Down Syndrome. Their mother works two jobs to make ends meet and therefore Skye takes on most of the caretaking activities with Sunny. This story highlights how it is having a sibling with a disability. Skye has her first boyfriend and having a brother who she needs to take care of gets in the way of her teenage life. There is some serious storyline as her new boyfriend pressures her to have sex and almost rapes her. It is wonderful how Skye defends herself and sticks up for what she believes in, however, this book would be appropriate for high school only due to the mature storyline.

"Petey" by Ben Mikaelsen. This novel examines the notion that people with physical disabilities are often assumed to have cognitive disabilities when they often do not. This story starts in the early part of the 1900s and follows Petey Corbin though living in an institution and then a nursing home. It is a delightful journey that clearly shows how non-disabled people often are frightened of people with disabilities until they get to know them. It is a particularly good book for boys and is appropriate for both middle and high school students.

"Rules" by Cynthia Lord. This is a Newbery Honor Book and Schneider Family Book Award winner. The story follows a brother with autism and a sister who shares a lot of responsibility for teaching her bother the rules of getting along in a world that does not always have compassion and understanding for someone with autism. Catherine creates rules to help David understand how to live in the world. Catherine also learns a few lessons about other disabilities. This is an excellent book for middle and high school alike.

"Views from our Shoes" Edited by Donald Meyer. This is a compilation of forty-five (45) short narratives of siblings of children with disabilities and how they view living with their siblings.
It is a nice view from children as young as four to as old as eighteen. This book is appropriate for middle and high school students.

"Wish on a Unicorn" by Karen Hesse. This novel uses imagination and wishes to explore the dreams of children living in poverty with a sibling with a disability. The relationship between the children and how protective they are of their sister with a cognitive disability is heart warming. It would be an easy novel to do writing activities with. What would you wish for if you found a unicorn? How would you handle a bully? This story lends itself to middle and high school students.

"The Summer of the Swans" by Betsy Byars. Newberry Award Winner. This novel tells the story of a family that includes a boy with a cognitive disability. This is a short book that easily shows the family dynamics and how it is to be a sibling of a child with a disability. This is a good book for middle school level.

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Building awareness with all kids to help them better understand the world around them is a should be a priority for schools. It is quite normal for kids to be curious about other children who may use special materials / equipment or behave/ learn differently. It is our role as parents, teachers, and citizens to...

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View Lessons By Category

All Autism Communication Disorders General Disability Hearing Impairment Learning Disabilities Physical Disabilities Vision Impairment

Additional Resources

Copyright © 2018 HIE Help Center. All Rights Reserved.

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Disability Awareness Lessons Plans For Teachers | HIE Help Center

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View Lessons By Category All Autism Communication Disorders General Disability Hearing Impairment Learning Disabilities Physical Disabilities Vision Impairment Additional Resources Copyright © 2018 HIE Help Center. All Rights Reserved.

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As a class, learn about what person-first language means.

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There are two schools of thought regarding the most respectful and appropriate way to refer to disabled people. These ideas, described as person-first and identity-first, both evolved from self-advocacy movements within the disabled community.

The "person-first" approach started in Sweden and came out of the need to gain a voice within the general community, particularly during the process of deinstitutionalization during the 1970s. The "identity-first" movement is more recent and originated with the Deaf community. Identity-first language draws from the idea that neither disability nor neurodiversity is separable from a person's way of experiencing and interacting with the world. The choice of language depends, in part, on the individual person's age, their preferences, and their specific disability.

Some organizations and governmental groups advocate for the use of person-first language. A good example is the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) which is written in person-first language. But this doesn't negate the importance of those disabled voices for whom identity-first language is preferred. Ahead, learn the difference between the two types of language, when each is appropriate, and how to know which to use in conversation in your own life.

What Is Person-First Language?

Person-first language is phrasing that puts the person ahead of the disability. It can be used in a sentence in the following ways:

"John is a student with learning disabilities who enjoys playing basketball."

"Jameel is a person with autism who has a talent for writing software."

"Fatima is a teen with epilepsy who won an award for her art."

Person-first language is not new. It was first developed in Sweden in the 1970s as part of the People First movement. People First was a self-advocacy movement, created in response to a parents' group with the motto "We Speak for Them," and included disabled adults who wanted to speak for themselves.

The organization soon expanded to Canada and the United States. Some of the most important events associated with People First were conferences at which self-advocates were-for the first time-given opportunities to speak for themselves, share ideas, and make connections with one another.

Before the 1970s, most people with significant disabilities were institutionalized. During the 70s, however, the deinstitutionalization movement saw individuals with a wide range of disabilities join the general community. The process, however, was made more difficult because of stigma and harmful stereotypes, says Kathie Snow, author and creator of the Disability Is Natural website. "These people had been pushed out of society," Snow adds. "People used the term 'wrong' to describe disabilities. People were deemed worthy or unworthy of living based on their labels, and this helped to fuel the eugenics movement."

Since the 1990s, person-first language has been encouraged in most settings as a "respectful" way to refer to people with disabilities. For example, The People First Respectful Language Modernization Act of 2006 was enacted by the Council of the District of Columba on July 11, 2006 to "require the use of respectful language when referring to people with disabilities in all new and revised District laws, regulations, rules, and publications and all internet publications."

What Is Identity-First Language?

Identity-first language uses the name of a disability as an adjective, rather than using the phrase "a person with." Below are some examples:

Eleanor, a blind woman, is a member of the homeowners association.

George is a Deaf man who leads his company in sales.

My autistic son enjoys playing video games.

Identity-first language is used most often by neurodiverse self-advocates and by members of the Deaf community. Bela Gaytan, instructional designer and DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) advocate, explains, "For some time, identity-first language was shunned by many in the disability community. Many people felt that it implied that they were their disability before anything else. However, there's been a surge lately in people using identity-first language. It's been reclaimed as a source of pride and power."

Cathy Wassell, CEO of Autistic Girls Network Charity in the UK, is neurodivergent and explains, "I'm firmly in the identity-first camp." She cites studies which found that autistic people, in particular, prefer identity first language. "Autism isn't a handbag; you can't pick it up or put it down," Wassell adds. "It's a part of you, how you experience the world, how you react to things."

Many people discover their autistic identity as adults; for some, the discovery comes as a result of a child's diagnosis. For this group of people, self-identification as autistic can open up new horizons. "For their whole lives, these adults might have believed themselves to be broken neurotypical people-but in fact, they have a different neurotype," Wassell explains. "It's important in terms of validation: I'm not a broken neurotypical person, I'm autistic."

Choosing Between Identity-First and Person-First Language

Language is always changing, and no group of people is ever a monolith. There are, however, a few general rules to follow when it comes to discussing disabilities.

As Gaytan puts it, "When addressing another person directly, always ensure you are using the language that they prefer. If you don't know what they prefer, it's okay to ask. As a rule of thumb, you're safer to use person-first language over identity-first language, as some people still may take offense to have their disabilities before their personal information."

When you are writing or speaking about disabled people other than yourself or your own self-advocacy group, check to see whether the organization or community has a style guide that includes direction on language. If they do, you can simply follow it.

If you are not sure which option to use because you're not speaking directly to a disabled person or writing for a publication, you will need to make a choice on your own. As a rule, non-disabled people are accustomed to hearing person-first language, and it's thought to be a safer choice for a general audience. Certain groups of disabled self-advocates, however, in particular the Deaf, blind, and autistic communities, are very definite about preferring identity-first language.

A Word From Verywell

On any given topic, language is always a moving target. The "correct" terms of ten years ago can become the insults of today, and people may not always keep up with changing terminology. It's always best, when speaking with any individual, to ask how they preferred to be addressed or described. And ideally, it's best to inform yourself about the preferences of a particular group. But no matter how careful you are, it's impossible to get it right 100% of the time. The best thing you can do is be open minded and willing to listen, understand, and make adjustments wherever you can.

Additional Reading

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Talking About Disabilities: Person-First or Identity-First Language?

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Learn about person-first language, a form of linguistic etiquette for talking to and about people with disabilities.

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This is a great packet with activities design to develop empathy and learn about different disabilities.

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Letters of Friendship- Write Letters to Israelis with Special Needs

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Letters of Friendship- Write Letters to Israelis with Special Needs

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Write inspirational letters of friendship to Israelis with special needs as a demonstration of your support and encouragement as they strive for inclusion and acceptance.

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Building Relationships- Icebreaker/team building activities for students to learn about one another

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Building Relationships- Icebreaker/team building activities for students to learn about one another

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The first day of school is quickly approaching for many of our Georgia school districts, and in an effort to help teachers and students overcome their first day jitters, we have added even more activities to our popular icebreaker blog!

Icebreakers may seem trivial but they can assist with building meaningful relationships with students. Jennifer Gonzalez wrote a wonderful article outlining a four-part process for getting to know your students and lists breaking the ice as the first step to creating a comfortable environment where students aren't afraid to ask questions and take academic risks. Below are some icebreakers that can help you establish an encouraging, educational environment where students thrive.

1. Marooned

Establish a collaborative, cooperative learning environment on the first day of school with Marooned. Place students into groups of five and tell them that they are stranded on a deserted island. Explain that they must select five items from their personal belongings to help them survive and that each member of their group must contribute one thing. Give them about ten minutes to dig through their book bags, purses, or pockets to select necessary items. Then, have each group stand and explain what they selected and how each object is essential to their survival.
2. A Great Wind Blows
A Great Wind Blows may ease the fears of younger children who are anxious about starting their first day of school. Arrange your classroom chairs in an inward facing circle and have everyone sit in a chair. There should be one less chair than students. Stand outside of the circle and say the phrase "A great wind blows for everyone who..." and fill in the statement with a characteristic that students may have in common. Any student that identifies with that particular characteristic must stand up and move to a different chair. Every time someone gets up, a chair is removed. Any child that cannot find a chair will step outside of the circle and help the teacher think of phrases for the remaining players.
3. Six Word Story
Make students describe their summers in a complete sentence using only six words. Have them switch papers with a classmate that has to add a comment comprised of only six words. It may appear easy but it's a lot more difficult than it seems.
4. #I'm Awesome
Take a gigantic piece of butcher paper and tape it to the wall. Once students enter the classroom, hand them a marker and have them think of 2-3 hashtags that describe themselves. Allow them to write their hashtags on the wall and explain them to the rest of the class.
5. Blobs and Lines
This easy icebreaker from Cult of Pedagogy is sure to get everyone moving, conversing, and discovering their similarities. Simply ask students to line up in a particular order (by birthday, height, etc.) or gather in blobs based on something they have in common (favorite color, movie, number of siblings). Not only does this activity keep students engaged, you get to learn more about them. It also provides them with a sense of belonging. You can have them gather and line up as many times as you would like and you can even join in to see how much you have in common with you pupils.
6. The "What Am I?" Game
Modify the game of Pictionary by handing children sticky notes and letting them write down their favorite artist, movie, or athlete. Next, tell them to find a partner and to describe what they wrote down without using words. If their partner guesses correctly, the partner receives a point. If their partner guesses incorrectly, the actor receives a point. Have them find new companions three or four times.
7. Something's Not Quite Right
Education World has a host of icebreakers that have been tested by educators. One that aids younger students with observation skills is called Something's Not Quite Right. Before school starts, create chaos in your room by purposely misplacing a few items. This could mean that one of the numbers on your number line is out of place, a word is misspelled on the bulletin board, or that the date is incorrect. On the first day of school give students an observation sheet, place them into groups, and have them explore the room looking for abnormalities. Once they've had enough time to observe the room, discuss their findings in a whole group setting.
8. Classroom Scavenger Hunt
Instead of finding misplaced items, send children on a scavenger hunt around the room. This may help them take note of where key functional items such as the pencil sharpener are located. Make sure you require a description of the items you are asking them to find.
9. Snowball Fight
Have students write at least two identifying facts about themselves on a plain sheet of paper. Afterwards, everyone should gather in a circle, crumple their sheets of paper, and throw them in a pile inside the circle. Students should scramble to pick up a new paper and take turns reading the identifying characteristics. When someone recognizes his/her paper, they should raise their hand and elaborate on what they wrote.
10. Time Capsules
Create individualized time capsules on the first day of school. Fill them with pretests taken that week or personal letters about what they plan to accomplish throughout the school year. Letters can include expectations, clubs they would like to join, and desired grade point averages. You can even take pictures of your students on the first day, print them out, and place them inside the boxes. On the last day of school, distribute their time capsules and allow them to see how much they have learned, grown, and accomplished in one year. Younger students can complete handouts that ask about their favorite color, food, and book. It is amusing to see how their interests change over time.

11. House of Cards Challenge

Mrs. B from Texas came up with an excellent way to get her students to cooperate using index cards. First, place your students into groups of four or five and have them discuss their likes and dislikes. Then, give them each approximately 30 index cards and have them label each card with one thing they have in common. Next, have them create towers out of the index cards that are at least 10 inches in height. Challenge them to compete against the other groups in the classroom. You can even give the team with the tallest tower a prize!

Photo Courtesy of the pensivesloth.com

12. Save Fred the Worm

This STEM activity from the Growing a STEM Classroom encourages team building and critical thinking. It can also serve as an introduction to the scientific method. Explain to your students that Fred the worm is stranded on top of his boat in the middle of the ocean. Your students' job is to rescue Fred without touching him, his boat (the cup) or his life preserver (the life saver). The only things they can use to save Fred are the four paper clips provided. Mrs. Mastriana has posted an instructional guide and worksheet to accompany this activity. You can find them here.

13. Marshmallow Challenge

The Marshmallow Challenge works well with middle and high school students. The materials you will need include: 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. Break your students into groups of four or five and have them build the tallest structure that can support a marshmallow on top.

14. Getting-to-Know-You Bingo

Getting-to-Know-You Bingo really gets students moving and learning about one another. Give each student a bingo card with different descriptive sentences in each square. Tell students to find a different individual that fits the description and have them write their name in that specific box. Once a student has collected a name in every box of their bingo card, they should call out, "Bingo!"

15. The Cup Challenge

The Cup Challenge establishes teamwork in the classroom by requiring your students to move a group of cups from one place to another using only a rubber band and string. Jaclyn Sepp has done an excellent job of explaining the necessary materials and instructions. You can find those here.

Photo courtesy of mssepp.blogspot.com

16. The Question Web

This exercise by Grahame Knox helps students learn interesting and unique facts about one another. After having your students stand in a circle, take a ball of yarn and hold on to the end of the string while throwing the ball to another student. Ask this student a question such as "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?" Once they have answered the question, have them toss the ball of yarn to another student and ask them a question. When all of your students have gone, explain that the web they created represents the uniqueness of your classroom and that their participation makes the classroom a special place for learning and creativity.

17. Letter Scramble

If you are looking for a way to combine vocabulary and teambuilding, then Letter Scramble is for you. Divide your students into groups and give them letters that make-up a word or words. Then, have them figure out what word (or words) their letters create. Providing hints can give students insight on the correct word they are creating. If the words are from a book they will be reading, you may want to give them a copy of the book and direct them to the page the word can be found on as well. Rulin' The Roost takes it a step further by providing additional rules that incorporate segmenting and blending. She also provided a copy of the letters she used for her first grade class.

18. Tall Stories

Another activity by Grahame Knox allows you to create your first classroom story by having all of your students participate in creating a tall tale. Begin by having all of your students stand in a circle. Next, start the story with a sentence such as "Yesterday, I went to the zoo and was passing the elephant enclosure when SUDDENLY..." Then, have all of the students add on to the story ending it with the word SUDDENLY. The story will become more and more hilarious as students add on to the previous sentence.

19. STEM Mystery Bag Challenges

Combine cooperative learning and creativity by placing your students into groups and giving them "mystery bags." Give each group a bag with a description of what they are required to build using the materials found in their bag. Watch their creativity flow as they attempt to figure out how to master the challenge! Christie Burnett has put together some excellent mystery bag engineering challenges in her blog Childhood 101. I encourage you to look at these for inspiration!

Picture courtesy of Childhood101.com

20. Have Students Help Decorate Your Room

Inviting students to help decorate your room sends the message that they are welcomed and that their opinion is valued. Simply designate a wall to them, place them in groups and give them markers and a piece of chart paper. Have them come up with one common goal that they would all like to accomplish in your class and summarize it in one word. Next, have them write the word in huge letters on the chart paper. Make sure that all of the groups have different goals from one another. Once all of your students are finished, hang these on the designated wall and explain to your students that they are all responsible for making sure they all achieve their goals by the end of the school year!

Do you have any icebreakers that you like to incorporate at the beginning of the year? Share with us on Twitter or Facebook!

Have a great school year!

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The first day of school is quickly approaching for many of our Georgia school districts, and in an effort to help teachers and students overcome their first day jitters, we have added even more activities to our popular icebreaker blog!

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Create and Post a Classroom Inclusivity Statement

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Create and Post a Classroom Inclusivity Statement

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Professional Development Trainings

No Certificates of Attendance

Only those who participate in the live workshop are eligible to receive certificates of attendance. No certificates will be issued for viewing the archived workshops on this page.

Working Effectively with Families from Diverse Cultures

This video contains some strategies from PACER's multicultural advocates on how to work with families from the Hispanic/Latino, Somalia, and Hmong communities and they enter the system of early intervention and early childhood special education services. Using these strategies will help to build positive, trusting relationships with these families. Through these relationships, families will feel supported and confident in parenting their children with special needs.

Practical Tips for Working Effectively with Culturally Diverse Families of Young Children

This webinar is designed for early childhood care and education providers and early intervention and early childhood special education professionals. Culture is embodied in the ordinary things we do - how we speak, greet parents, organize a meeting, or provide a service. When important belief systems are breached, providers run the risk of offending a family, even when that is not the intent. A unique panel of parents who are also advocates and experts in diversity will suggest strategies they have found to be effective for building collaboration with families.

Serving Diverse Families - Strategies for Early Childhood Providers

This webinar is designed for early childhood intervention and early childhood special education professionals who want to increase their effectiveness in working with young children with disabilities from diverse cultures. It is for everyone who has ever wondered:

"How can I avoid offending a parent who is from a culture different from my own?"

"How can I help families be comfortable in expressing their opinions and proposing solutions?"

"How can I support their decisions, even when I do not agree?"

"How can I help the family determine family-directed outcomes based on their concerns, needs, and priorities?"

Getting Off to a Good Start: Positive Interactions with Diverse Families

The adage, "You never have a second chance to make a first impression," applies to school professionals who want to establish good relationships with the families they serve. For a parent from a diverse community, the typical challenges are often compounded by differences in language, culture, and traditions. The first contacts provide the opportunity for the family to view the school experience as positive and responsive. The following tips are designed to help you create and maintain effective partnerships with families, leading to increased parent involvement, and ultimately better outcomes for children.

Setting the Stage for Positive and Productive Family Meetings

Make it your school district's goal to have interpreters available and involved in the earliest points of contact with families. Anticipate needs and proactively arrange for interpreters to be available based on a current demographic study of the families in your community.

The first person who comes in contact with the family should ask about the need for an interpreter and translated materials. Do not assume to know what the family needs. Then, according to a predetermined process, the information should be relayed to the people who are working with the family.

Call the parents before any type of meeting and answer questions they may have. Clearly explain the purpose of the meeting and the desired outcome. Explain who will participate and what they will specifically do during the meeting. Discuss the parents' role and how they will be asked to participate.

For in-home meetings, you may need to plan your visit around the family's cultural and religious observations.

Conducting an Effective Family Meeting

At a first meeting, begin by sharing a little personal background information about yourself, including why you went into this profession and what you especially enjoy about it.

It is essential to devote time to conversation and activities that will help to build trust. Expect that it may take more time to establish trust.

Direct your comments and responses to both the mother and father. Let the family inform you if there is any preference in who receives information and makes decisions. Respect the family structure even when it is not your own experience and value system. It is not unusual for extended family members to be present. Recognize the importance, in many cultures, of designated community elders, spiritual leaders, and spiritual helpers, for whom families may go to for advice or approval.

When the child has a suspected or diagnosed disability, it will not be unusual for the parent to initially say, "There's nothing wrong with my child." Acknowledge their viewpoint and recognize it may take time to develop enough trust in the relationship for the parent to hear and consider your input.

There likely will be a need for you to provide an explanation of the process and systems involved. Even if the process and terminology was explained in a pre-meeting contact, describe them as you go along and invite the parents to ask questions.

During the meeting, the parent may seem to understand the information that is being communicated. If asked directly, "Do you understand?" parents may answer "Yes," even if they do not. You will need to check for understanding in informal ways as you go along such as: "Does that make sense to you?"; "What questions does that raise for you?"; "Does that sound right to you?"; and "Do you know what to do next?"

Understanding Differences in Culture

In many Somali and Asian families, it is better not to initiate a handshake unless the individual extends their hand to you first. Depending on the individual's religious beliefs, physical contact may be inappropriate at certain times.

Asian families may use a combination of Western and Eastern medicine, philosophies, and approaches, which may include the use of massage, herbal remedies, and other healing practices. Include these interventions in the child's plan if appropriate. For example, if the child would benefit from occupational therapy (OT) services, find out first what the family may already be doing in the area of massage and incorporate the activity into the OT plan.

Depending on the culture, the level of eye contact may differ from what you are familiar with. It's important to not interpret lack of eye contact to mean disinterest or disrespect.

Because of the historical overrepresentation of African Americans in special education, African Americans may be reluctant to have their children identified as needing special education services if the child has a disability that is not visible.

Realize that for some families, immigration status may be an issue of concern. This can cause some families to be very cautious in the way they disclose information to you.

If language is a barrier and no interpreter is available (despite your best efforts) keep the meeting to the sharing of general information. When there is a language barrier, it is not possible to accurately determine eligibility for services. If at all possible, avoid using children as interpreters. Plan for an additional session to meet the need for language interpretation.

Even when the family speaks English, do not assume they can read, especially at the high reading level of many public agency documents. In a sensitive and indirect way, check frequently for understanding. If you are taking notes or completing a form, read what you have written to the parent as you go along and before giving them the document. If you discover the parent cannot effectively read the materials, offer to provide the information in a different format.

At the conclusion of the meeting, end on a positive note by praising the child or family and thanking the parents for their valuable input and participation.

Strategies for Success in Local Early Childhood Parent Outreach Activities Among Diverse Cultures

1. Identify multicultural population centers in your locality.

2. Identify key leaders within each of those communities.

3. Call and request the opportunity to meet in person to communicate the purpose and goals for an outreach effort to help children and families in their community. Explain how the leaders can be involved as partners. Example: Displaying brochures in a visible location.

4. Whenever possible, enlist the help of parents of young children from the culture to accompany you and communicate the need with community leaders. To locate parents to accompany you, check with the local IEIC (Interagency Early Intervention Committee), and ask for referrals from ECSE (Early Childhood Special Education) staff or from advocacy organizations, such as PACER.

5. When parents are not available to come with you, ask families for permission to use their family stories with photos when communicating with community leaders.

6. Invite the leader to collaborate with you in developing an outreach strategy that makes sense for the particular community.

7. Ask for help in identifying other potential partners within the community. It will be particularly helpful to enlist the help of individuals who speak the language and work for health, education, and social service organizations.

8. Determine specific locations and methods to disseminate outreach materials. (Please see PHPc-133, "Potential Community Partners and Locations." ) Consider community celebration and event calendars in your planning. Enlist the help of identified partners to distribute materials.

9. Order or download the PACER/ Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) outreach materials by contacting PACER Center. Use a label or stamp to add your local contact information to the back of the outreach brochure.

10. Plan follow-up activities for parents who indicate the need for more information.

Tips:

1. Be positive and proactive. Regardless of availability of formal services, families benefit from being connected to other families, to disability organizations, and other informal resources. Establishing a need for services is often necessary for acquiring additional funding.

2. Dedicate appropriate staff to the outreach effort. While expertise and experience in early childhood intervention is important, the ability to communicate in the language and understand the culture of the community may be more essential for initial outreach efforts.

3. Recognize that families may very likely need someone to help them navigate the process. Have contact information available that refers them to community and advocacy resources, such as PACER. If possible, identify the name of a specific person for whom they can ask.

Conducting Family-Friendly School Events

Distribute event information through multiples means of communication

include flyer in student take-home folder

email directly to families

hand out in person at conferences or other school meetings

post on school website and bulletins

include in school newsletter

print poster-size versions of the flyer and post on entrance doors and at the visitor check-in station

Provide staff at the event who speak the various languages to greet and welcome parents who are English language learners.

Provide interpreters and translated materials for informational sessions.

Creating a family friendly flyer:

Avoid using acronyms for locations or titles - spell everything out

Make sure to list where participants can park and which entrance to use for the event

Will there be food? Children welcome? Childcare available? For what ages? If not, specify that it will not be provided.

Consider including the agenda or event items for the scheduled activities so families know what to expect or can "catch up" if they arrive late.

Include speakers' names and photos (if relevant). Indicate what school staff they can expect to see at the event.

Create flyers in multiple languages so that all families feel welcome

Provide a "save the date" piece several weeks before the event as well as a reminder the week of the event.

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Cultural Competency Research & Training - Working with Culturally Diverse Families

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In order to work effectively with families from diverse backgrounds, schools professionals need to understand the culture of the families they work with, and design outreach and communication strategies that respond to the specific social, cultural and linguistic needs and values of that group.

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Be part of the growing movement to celebrate kindness in Ottawa | Kindness Week 2021 runs from Feb 12 - 19!

The city-wide Kind Ottawa initiative together with its flagship event, Kindness Week, celebrates people accross the city who have shown kindness in a way that should be recognized. Kind Ottawa has become a vibrant movement in our community, encouraging people to "choose to be kind".

Kindness Week 2021 will take place February 12-19 virtually accross KIND OTTAWA Social Media channels.

Kind Ottawa and Kindness Week are now run by the Caring and Sharing Exchange with extensive representation from our community. Under the leadership of Kindness Week Chair, Rabbi Reuven Bulka (spiritual leader of Congregation Machzikei Hadas, host of CFRA's Sunday Night with Rabbi Bulka, columnist with The Ottawa Citizen), community leaders and volunteers from across Ottawa employ their resources, experience and enthusiasm to bring Kindness Week to life in Ottawa.

We have the ability to create the community we want. Make a conscious choice to contribute and focus on A Kind Ottawa throughout the entire year!
For more information, please contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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The city-wide Kind Ottawa initiative together with its flagship event, Kindness Week, celebrates people accross the city who have shown kindness in a way that should be recognized. Kind Ottawa has become a vibrant movement in our community, encouraging people to "choose to be kind".

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JDAIM embraces the phrase 'nothing about us, without us' meaning that we need to listen, include and learn from the voice and stories of individuals with disabilities.This also helps our students develop empathy.

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FAISR's focus are people with disabilities which constitute one of the largest minority groups in the world. People with disabilities constitute 15% of the world population and the elderly represent 11%, and growing. Disabilities, including but not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental, are found in people throughout the world, the young and old, and among every race, religion, and ethnicity. Disability does not discriminate, yet, people with disabilities are often the victims of discrimination, most often because of lack of knowledge and insensitivity. Working in collaboration with Access Israel, we want to continue to promote accessibility for people with disabilities in Israel and as such continue to assist Israel in being a global leader of accessibility and inclusion.

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FAISR's focus are people with disabilities which constitute one of the largest minority groups in the world. People with disabilities constitute 15% of the world population and the elderly represent 11%, and growing. Disabilities, including but not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental, are found in people throughout the world, the young and old, and among every race, religion, and ethnicity.

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Lianna's Gr. 2 Class Last Year Reads 'Just Ask' by Sonia Sotomayor

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Lianna's Gr. 2 Class Last Year Reads 'Just Ask' by Sonia Sotomayor

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Books about Inclusion for JDAIM from Brigitte

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Books about Inclusion for JDAIM from Brigitte

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The month of February is JDAIM- Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. The right book can really help foster more awareness and kindness in our students. I have created a book bin with books on this topic for reading buddies that you can find at any time in the library. I have also created a short list of some of our most on-point titles;

Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor. This lovely book covers various kinds of differences and how every individual has so much to share.

Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin and John Archambault. A beautifully poetic book about a blind child developing confidence in his own abilities.

Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. Patricia Polacco has to be one of my all time favourite children's authors. She has so many titles that deal with themes of children struggling because they are different and then finding the support they deserve in their teachers and friends. It is about how much each child is capable of, no matter what the obstacle may be at first. In this book, our protagonist struggles with dyslexia but with the support of a compassionate teacher is able to learn to read.

I'm Wendy Blair, Not a Chair! by Carolyn MacDiarmid. This book is about not letting your disability hold you back. This was written and published by The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work.

You're Different and That's Super by Carson Kressley. This book was written by one of the original Queer Eye crew and is a hilarious and adorable book about how special it is to be different. A storytime favourite.

We're All Wonders by R.J. Palacio. We can't end a list like this without including something by Palacio. This picture book brings home the main message in the novel Wonder for a younger audience. Beautifully illustrated.

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The month of February is JDAIM- Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. The right book can really help foster more awareness and kindness in our students. I have created a book bin with books on this topic for reading buddies that you can find at any time in the library.

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Jewish Disability Advocacy Month | Jewish Together

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A month of education, solidarity-building, and empowerment in support of people with disabilities. #JDAM

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February is Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month (JDAIM) and the Ottawa Jewish Community School is proud to be celebrating in ways big and small! We actually kicked things off in January when current OJCS Parent Dr. Madelaine Werier met with our Knesset to introduce them to the Jewish Ottawa Inclusion Network (JOIN) and to brainstorm with them ways that they could raise awareness and advocacy for inclusion at our school. Here's how Jenny, our Knesset Communications Rep, put it in her blog post:

Maybe we can create a mission to show the other students in our school that everyone can do something to help one another. Maybe we could do a class challenge to bring awareness to the importance of inclusivity. Donating money can be part of awareness campaigns but giving time is even more important. Even just holding the door for the person behind you can make a big difference in their day. How about a video? Making a video is a really easy way to make someone feel welcome, especially to a new environment. Maybe you don't even have to do something special, by just asking them to do something with you could make them feel more welcome. The person you are spending time with doesn't even have to be in your grade, branch out, talk to people from the grade above or below you. I know that if someone I didn't know came and played with me I would feel much better.

Madelaine did mention that a very important word is advocacy for us to learn about and think about how to incorporate it into Jewish Disability and Inclusion Month at OJCS. This Knesset meeting was very helpful and meaningful to our Knesset team. Thank you so much Madelaine- you definitely gave us some really amazing ideas.

And our Knesset didn't just listen, they took action.

Our student leaders wrote our faculty an email this week:

Dear OJCS Faculty,

The month of February is JDAIM- Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month, and we would like to bring more awareness about the month to the school.

There are 3 ways we want to do this:

1. We want to have a door decorating challenge. Each homeroom class can choose a door to decorate around the theme of 'Being Inclusive & Kind'. We would like to showcase photos of all the doors at our February Rosh Chodesh assembly so please have your beautiful doors all finished by February 24th. Gather the materials that you need, 'begin with the end in mind' with a class plan, and you can get started anytime! We can't wait to see them!

2. The Shinshinim activities throughout the month of February are going to be run with Knesset too! The workshops will focus on the big idea that it's important to be inclusive and celebrate & support one another's differences.

3. When your reading buddy group meets in February, focus on books around the themes of kindness and inclusivity. We encourage you to have a class discussion or activity after the reading around these themes.

These are our school-wide initiatives, but you're welcome to plan other activities for your class. Jewish Ottawa Inclusion Network (JOIN) is having a youth leadership challenge that you could enter with your class. See the poster below.

Please let us know if you have any questions. We are excited to incorporate JDAIM into our learning at OJCS.

Want to see "the poster below"?

And how can our teachers and students focus on books around the themes of kindness and inclusivity? Well they can turn to our incredible librarian, Brigitte Ruel, who just put out a post of her own:

The month of February is JDAIM- Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. The right book can really help foster more awareness and kindness in our students. I have created a book bin with books on this topic for reading buddies that you can find at any time in the library. I have also created a short list of some of our most on-point titles.

These are just a few examples of what is presently happening and what is to come in the weeks ahead. I invite you to visit the OJCS Blogosphere and the OJCS IRL (in real life!) to see how else we celebrate JDAIM this February.

Of course, however important dedicating months to raising awareness are (and they are!), working hard to include children with unique and diverse needs is something we do each and every day at the Ottawa Jewish Community School. Thanks to generous supplemental grants from Federation we have been able to provide flexible furniture, assistive technology, and diagnostic software to benefit learners of all kinds. We have grown our Department of Special Needs to include a part-time director, our Vice Principal, and two full-time and a variety of part-time resource teachers in English, Hebrew and French. We have adopted a pedagogy of personalization that allows each student in our school to find the appropriate floor and fly as far as their God-give potential permits without a ceiling. For a Jewish day school of our size and resources, we have a lot to be proud of when it comes to meeting the needs of diverse learners.

This Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month, let us be reminded that we strive to meet the needs of children because we recognize that each child has special needs. That to truly believe that each is made in God's image requires that we apply the filter of inclusivity whenever possible. The work of becoming more inclusive has no beginning and has no ending. Inclusivity is both a process and a journey, one that OJCS has proudly been on for a while and one that we intend to keep walking with our community into the future.

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OJCS Celebrates Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month (JDAIM)

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February is Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month (JDAIM) and the Ottawa Jewish Community School is proud to be celebrating in ways big and small! We actually kicked things off in January when current OJCS Parent Dr. Madelaine Werier met with our Knesset to introduce them to the Jewish Ottawa Inclusion Network (JOIN) and to brainstorm with them ways that they could raise awareness and advocacy for inclusion at our school.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin 'What does 'inclusion' mean for Jews?'

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin 'What does 'inclusion' mean for Jews?'

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Harvey Goldberg, a retired senior policy analyst at the Canadian Human Rights Commission, provides an overview on February's Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) in Ottawa.
Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) is a long title for the simple idea that inclusion matters, and that our community is stronger when everyone has a chance to participate and contribute. JDAIM is a time to reflect on the barriers, social, attitudinal and physical, that make it difficult for people with disabilities and mental health conditions to be involved in Jewish life and a time to resolve to remove them.

So what does inclusion mean for Jews? A quote from the Talmud sums it up well:

A human being mints many coins from the same mold and each one is the same, but the Holy One, blessed be God, strikes us all from the mold of the first human and each one of us is unique. Therefore, every single person is obligated to say, "The world was created for my sake." (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5).

We are all - people with disabilities and those who do not yet have a disability - created in the image of the Holy One.

Unfortunately, inclusion has not always been high on the Jewish communal agenda. Whether it be a raised bimah that makes it impossible for a person who uses a wheelchair to have an aliya, a Jewish school or camp that will not accommodate a child who learns differently, or a concern that people with a mental health condition will "disrupt" a community program, people with disabilities face barriers to inclusion every day.

But change is happening. A community-wide conference held last April, "Pushing the Boundaries: Disability, Inclusion and the Ottawa Jewish Community" provided the momentum. The goal of the conference - co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, Jewish Family Services of Ottawa (JFS), the Jewish Ottawa Inclusion Network (JOIN) and Tamir - was to educate about the barriers faced by people with disabilities, present best practices that foster inclusion, and help to inspire innovation in the Jewish community.

And the push has paid off. The sponsors of the conference have continued to meet, and with the facilitation of Federation, have agreed to create the Committee on Inclusive Jewish Life (CIJL) with a mandate to promote inclusion for all members of our community. The committee's invitation to other institutions in the community to participate in the committee's work has been warmly received. If your synagogue, school, or agency has not yet joined in, make sure they do.

Jewish communities in Montreal, Toronto and several U.S. cities have dedicated Jewish staff professionals to support volunteers in promoting and advancing the inclusion agenda. One of the first priorities of the CIJL is to lay the groundwork for hiring an inclusion specialist for Ottawa.

* More immediately, exciting activities have been planned to mark JDAIM in Ottawa. Throughout February, watch the Facebook feeds of Tamir, JOIN, JFS and Federation to see videos of community members explaining what inclusion means to them.

* Kids from kindergarten to Grade 12 have until the end of the month to participate in JOIN's Youth Leadership Award Challenge by proposing ways of making the community more inclusive for people with disabilities. (Find JOIN on Facebook for more details.)

* On February 20-21, Tamir, in conjunction with Kehillat Beth Israel, JOIN, Jewish Family Services, Federation and the Soloway Jewish Community Center (SJCC) will host the visit to Ottawa of Ora Horn Prouser, the academic dean at the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York and author of Esau's Blessing: How the Bible Embraces those with Special Needs. The title of her talk to be held at the SJCC on February 20 is "Limping Toward the Promised Land: How the Bible Pioneers Inclusion." An interview with Horn Prouser is in this edition of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin. Visit www.tamir.ca to purchase tickets.

This year, 2020, is a particularly good time to focus on inclusion because it is the bat mitzvah year of the coming into force of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The CRPD ratified by Canada, Israel, and 179 other states, established in international human rights law the inherent right of all persons with disabilities to equality, autonomy, independence, respect and full inclusion in all aspects of life on the same basis of all other members of the human family.

People with disabilities ask for no more, they deserve no less. Together we can make it happen.

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What does 'inclusion' mean for Jews? | Ottawa Jewish Bulletin

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Harvey Goldberg , a retired senior policy analyst at the Canadian Human Rights Commission, provides an overview on February's Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) in Ottawa. Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) is a long title for the simple idea that inclusion matters, and that our community is stronger when everyone has a chance to participate and contribute.

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The Jewish community recognizes Jewish Disability Awareness Month (JDAM) for the seventh consecutive February. JDAM has inspired so many Jewish communities and organizations to participate in raising awareness about people who live with disabilities and the importance of inclusion in Jewish life.
Did you know that JDAM came out of Jewish education?
In 2008 the Jewish Special Education International Consortium met at our annual Colloquium. Founded nearly 30 years earlier, the Consortium convened professionals from North American Federation-designated special education and inclusion initiatives. The landscape of Jewish inclusion in 2008 was dotted with a few community conferences about including people with disabilities of all ages in Jewish life. Several communities, Phoenix and Minneapolis specifically, had successfully worked with synagogues and Jewish organizations to incorporate inclusive practices to welcome people with disabilities.

This visionary group of professionals knew that inclusion was not on the radar in a lot of the organizations they supported with special education services. Great work was being done to educate children with disabilities, but it was time to move the communal culture to one where Jews of all ages, with any disability, could participate in the mainstream of Jewish life. Thus, the impetus for JDAM.

Consortium members agreed to promote inclusion during the month of February, hoping that we could share resources to raise awareness. During the first JDAM, several communities held conferences about inclusion; others, like mine in Minneapolis, worked with congregations and agencies to speak about inclusion in sermons, provide staff training on making accommodations, and one synagogue even made a short film about why inclusion is so important. At the 2009 Colloquium, participating communities shared their JDAM experiences and more members signed on to participate. We introduced the now-iconic JDAM logo to increase recognition and demonstrate unity of purpose. The logo, designed by Janice Goldstein of Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis, is used widely and is available for download without cost.

In six short years JDAM has expanded beyond anyone's expectations. 2012 brought the addition of JDAM Reads to reach a new audience in mainstream Jewish life. Book clubs embraced this new initiative that provided insights into living with disabilities. In 2014 we began our partnership with PJ Library to create curriculum for books appealing to early childhood and early elementary audiences.

Now we have the opportunity to create dialogue and subsequent action to support people with disabilities to participate in Jewish life as they determine.

Self-determination is our birthright. Think of the variety of ways you participate in the Jewish community. You choose how you wish to be involved. So it must be for people with disabilities. The key is supporting each person to determine what is important TO them instead of us determining what we think is important FOR them.

JDAM will continue to be recognized in February. Think of it as a vehicle to get us to the ultimate destination: a Jewish community where everyone can determine how they wish to participate, engage and contribute. Jewish organizations have to think about inclusion differently. Inclusion is not offering special events, services or programs for people with disabilities. Inclusion is living a robust, self-determined Jewish life based on the concept that anyone can determine what is important to them, express that and get the support needed to experience Jewish life as a member of the community.
Shelly Christensen, MA, is co-founder of Jewish Disability Awareness Month, author of Jewish Community Guide to Inclusion of People with Disabilities, founder and Executive Director of Inclusion Innovations, co-founder of the Jewish Leadership Institute on Disabilities and Inclusion and a frequent speaker on issues of inclusion and disability. She is the President of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Religion and Spirituality Division. Shelly directed the Minneapolis Jewish Community Inclusion Program for People with Disabilities, an award winning initiative that supported inclusion in all Jewish organizations. Shelly and her husband Rick are parents of three adult children. One of their children lives with Asperger syndrome. They reside in Minneapolis with their two Shelties, Yafi and Penina.

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The History of Jewish Disability Awareness Month

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The Jewish community recognizes Jewish Disability Awareness Month (JDAM) for the seventh consecutive February. JDAM has inspired so many Jewish communities and organizations to participate in raising awareness about people who live with disabilities and the importance of inclusion in Jewish life. Did you know that JDAM came out of Jewish education?