Tomorrow (February 6) is
Jewish Disability Advocacy Day (JDAD) in Washington DC. It is coordinated by The Jewish Disability
Network; a network of national Jewish organizations engaging
in advocacy on disability issues. Co-chaired by The Jewish Federations of North
America and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism,
this is an exciting opportunity to learn about legislative issues of importance
to individuals with disabilities and their families. The advocacy efforts
will focus on two key issues:
- Asking Members and Senators to sponsor the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which encourages saving private funds for the purpose of supporting individuals with disabilities
- Asking Senators to support ratification of the Disabilities Treaty, which promotes the rights of people with disabilities across the globe based on the standard set by the Americans with Disabilities Act
I anticipate that this will be a little bit like a
mini L’Taken
Seminar for Social Justice for grown-ups!
I’m looking forward to meeting quite a few people that
I only know online or by their Twitter handles. I intend to tweet throughout the
day, so feel free to follow me at @JewishSpecialEd
and keep an eye on #JDAM14
Finally, this will be an opportunity to stretch
outside my comfort zone since political advocacy is not my typical
“wheelhouse”. I think that it is genuinely significant for us to embrace such
opportunities as educators and leaders. I have written in the past about
leading by example, and recognize the importance of practicing what I preach.
Be sure you never miss a post from Removing the Stumbling Block:
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