Shir Tikvah’s Disability Justice Committee
Building a more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming community together.
Our Purpose
The Disability Justice Committee works to make Shir Tikvah a community where disabled people and people with a wide range of access needs can participate fully in worship, learning, relationships, and collective action.
We do this by listening to congregants, collaborating with clergy and staff, identifying barriers to participation, supporting accessibility improvements, and creating opportunities for our community to learn about disability justice. We recognize that accessibility is an ongoing, shared effort, and that building a more inclusive community takes time, conversation, and collaboration.
How We Work
The committee currently carries out its work through three teams, each with its own focus, meeting schedule, and pace. Together, these teams help us build connections, improve accessibility, and deepen understanding of disability justice throughout Shir Tikvah.
1. Havurot
The Havurot team coordinates a havurah for Shir Tikvah families that include disabled children or caregivers. The team is also preparing to launch a second havurah for adults with disabilities. These gatherings create opportunities for connection, community, and shared experiences.
2. Accessibility
The Accessibility team explores barriers to access in Shir Tikvah’s building, programs, and community life. The team listens to congregants’ experiences and is developing ways for people to share feedback about their access needs. In partnership with clergy and staff, the team identifies potential improvements and develops recommendations for changes to Shir Tikvah’s physical spaces, programs, processes, and community culture, taking both priority and feasibility into account.
3. Education
The Education team plans programs that invite the entire Shir Tikvah community—whether or not people identify as disabled—to learn about disability, accessibility, and disability justice. Through educational programs, text studies, and other activities, the team helps foster understanding and encourages a more inclusive community culture.
Across all three teams, the committee works in partnership with clergy, staff, and the wider congregation. We make space for congregants to share their experiences, ideas, concerns, and access needs, recognizing that needs may differ and sometimes overlap. We consult with clergy and staff to explore best practices, understand capacity and feasibility, and identify opportunities for meaningful change.
The committee may also investigate grants and other funding opportunities to support accessibility improvements and educational initiatives.
Every few months, the full committee meets online to share updates, learn from one another, and look for opportunities to collaborate across teams. More teams may be formed as needed.
What We Work Toward
The committee’s ongoing work includes:
Developing and updating recommendations for accessibility-related changes, organized by priority and feasibility.
Working with clergy, staff, and the broader community to understand access needs and explore possible solutions.
Seeking grant funding and other resources to support accessibility initiatives and education.
Offering educational and culture-building activities that help make disability justice part of Shir Tikvah’s shared community life.
These efforts are collaborative and ongoing. The committee can help identify needs, offer recommendations, facilitate conversations, and seek resources, but not every proposed change can be implemented immediately. Decisions and next steps depend on factors such as feasibility, available resources, and coordination with clergy and staff.
What We Ask of Ourselves
Committee members commit to holding regular working meetings, listening with care, and working collaboratively. We aim to maintain an ongoing understanding of congregants’ experiences and needs, check in with clergy and staff about capacity and feasibility, and be available as a resource on questions of access and inclusion.
We recognize that no single person or committee can anticipate or meet every access need. Our goal is to keep listening, learning, prioritizing, and working together toward a more accessible community.
How to Get Involved
You’re welcome to join the committee at any time — please email here with interest. Newcomers can join any of the three teams, learn about the work, and try it out without making a long-term commitment. Each team has its own focus and rhythm, so there are different ways to participate.
You can also take part in disability justice at Shir Tikvah without joining the committee. We offer virtual and in-person programs for the wider congregation, and there are many ways to get involved:
Come socialize at a havurah gathering.
Share your experiences or feedback with the Accessibility team.
Attend an educational program or text study.
Bring a question, idea, or suggestion to the committee.
If you’re interested in participating, reach out to the committee to learn about upcoming gatherings, programs, and other opportunities.
Disability justice is a shared practice, and there’s a place for you in this work.
We welcome your questions, ideas, experiences, and participation as we continue building a community where more people can belong and take part fully.