As previously mentioned, we’re running a major initiative this year to improve accessibility for our members, particularly those with mobility, hearing or sight impairments, along with our neurodiverse members. We’ve already held a number of community conversations since the AGM, and for Rosh Hashanah we’re going to try out a few of the ideas discussed at those conversations plus some from the United Synagogue’s work on access and inclusion.
At both Croxdale and Yavneh, there will be a small number of accessibility products designed to make life easier during services: magnifiers to help with reading the machzor, ear defenders for those that find the noise in big services a little overwhelming (particularly the shofar!), fidget toys to help those that have short attention spans especially children, and wobble cushions for those that need help whilst sitting still for so long. Please do borrow these items if you need them and return them after the service! And feel free to bring your own as well.
Some seats will be tagged as priority seating, and you may be asked to give up one of those seats if someone needs it more, particularly those with vision or hearing impairments. We’ll be making it more obvious through the use of US designed icons, which services are wheelchair accessible, have hearing loops, and have space for wheelchairs and how to access those spaces. There will be a quiet room on each site for those that need a few minutes in peace away from the hubbub, and when people need to stand up in services they will be asked to ‘stand if they can’ to lessen the pressure on those that find it difficult.
Lastly we’ll be displaying US designed posters, like the one above, to highlight how important it is to get the message out there that everyone is part of the community, and that we should be cultivating inclusion and ensuring that there are no barriers to belonging.
We won’t get it all right, but we feel that it’s important to try – please let us know what you think.
Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova,
Simon Berman
Deputy Chair