“Inclusion Is In Our DNA”: JCC Chicago Celebrates Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month (JDAIM) In February
This February, along with the unified effort among many Jewish organizations around the world, JCC Chicago will celebrate Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) with FREE virtual and in-person programs for all ages.
JDAIM is a time to raise awareness and champion the rights, gifts, and strengths of Jews with disabilities to be accepted and included in our community.
Here’s a closer look at the event line-up:
- Wed., February 1, 7-8:30pm – “My Disability Roadmap” Virtual Screening & Talkback
All are welcome to kick-off JDAIM with a virtual screening of the award-winning short documentary, “My Disability Roadmap” about Samuel Habib, a 21-year-old, who wants to date, leave home, go to college. But he drives a 350-pound wheelchair, uses a communication device, and can have a seizure at any moment. Determined to find his path forward, he seeks out guidance from America’s most rebellious disability activists. Will they empower him to launch the bold adult life he craves?Before the film, disability advocate and author of “Demystifying Disability” Emily Ladau will join for a live virtual conversation. After the film, JCC Chicago Inclusion Coordinator Rena Rosen will chat with the film’s co-director and star, Samuel Habib. Closed captioning will be provided. - Sun., February 12, 1-2:30pm– Messy Day at the J: Sensory Friendly Edition
Families are invited to get messy with paint, kinetic sand, slime and more at Bernard Weinger JCC in Northbrook. This program will be geared for children 3-10 years old and is sensory-friendly with moderate lighting, to accommodate sensitivity to light, noise cancelling headphones will be provided to support reduction of sensory overload and a quiet zone with fidgets are available on hand for anyone looking to take a step away from the mess.
Inclusion is in our DNA is a phrase often used at the J – it’s woven into the fabric of our programming year-round. JCC Chicago’s Inclusion Coordinator Rena Rosen shares, “The J is committed to providing inclusive opportunities designed to meet the needs of all our members and beyond. From Early Childhood to our day and overnight camps, to adult programming, inclusion of those with disabilities has always been at the forefront of our mission.”
This motto is seen firsthand in the J’s efforts to make its facilities more accessible such as building a new accessible community park at the West Rogers Park campus and creating adaptive programming for children, families, teens and adults. It also reaches one step further as J staff members work to expand knowledge of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI). One example is some Early Childhood educators at Jacob Duman Early Childhood Center at Lake County JCC in Lake Zurich learned American Sign Language (ASL) to accommodate one family who is a part of the Deaf community. The parents shared how the J provided a supportive, inclusive space for their family to find a connection.
Jacob Duman Early Childhood Site Director, Lisa Spewak, shares why it is important for teachers to learn ASL, “Communication is so key in Early Childhood work, both with the children and with the caregivers. Not only were we learning from a member of the Deaf community, but we were also learning this from a JCC Chicago community member and parent. ASL gave us the opportunity to better communicate with this particular family, with future families that might include Deaf individuals, and allowed us to support other children in our building who could benefit from non-verbal speech to have their needs met.”
She added, “By actively learning things like ASL, we are creating learning spaces that already reflect the diversity of our world. Accommodation should be the norm rather than the exception. When children feel represented and understood for who they are, they feel safer, happier, regulated, and more able to do the hard work of growing up.”
For more information on JCC Chicago’s JDAIM programming, please contact Dakota Karson at dkarson@jccchicago.org to be put in touch a program director. Learn more about these amazing programs and how to register at jccchicago.org/jdaim.
JCC (Jewish Community Centers) Chicago, founded in 1903 and rooted in Jewish values, offers a life-affirming journey fostering a connected, inclusive community from birth through senior years. With a focus on growing good kids and building connections, it is JCC Chicago’s mission to strengthen the Jewish community, from generation to generation. Today, JCC Chicago serves a diverse population of more than 60,000 community members who learn, grow and thrive through early childhood, day and overnight camps, teen, adult and family offerings, fitness and wellness, aquatics & sports and special events and happenings year-round.
With headquarters in Northbrook, JCC Chicago has over a dozen facilities that serve the greater Chicagoland area including: seven Early Childhood and Daycare Centers, nine Apachi Day Camp locations, Camp Chi Overnight Camp and Perlstein Retreat Center (located in Lake Delton, WI) and five Community Centers. For more information on JCC Chicago programming and commitment to community visit, www.jccchicago.org.