Empowering Teens to be Inclusive of People with Disabilities



NFTY teens studying disability inclusion, Removing the Stumbling Block

Two of the things I am most passionate about in my professional life are disability inclusion and Jewish teens. Imagine my excitement when these two things come together!

We should follow the lead of our teens because they are ready to make change.

 I love to lead sessions with teens to both make their own spaces more inclusive and to help them support inclusion throughout their communities. 

 A great session begins by exploring some definitions of inclusion:

Define inclusion in three words or less, Removing the Stumbling Block
Read more about this activity here: Define Inclusion in Three Words or Less

Then explore the Jewish imperative as to WHY we must be inclusive (despite not being held to the same legal obligations as secular organizations). Teens blow me away with their thoughtful and varied responses to an activity based on Jewish texts:

It is truly a thrill to empower our future leaders to take these conversations home and make real change in their communities.


I’m deeply proud of my home congregation for its ongoing commitment to inclusion. We are a community that recognizes inclusion is a part of who we are and that being inclusive must be a seamless and natural part of everything we do. 

 It is possible in your community, too. Many people act as though our teens are the future, and they are the next generation of adults to take their message and passion out into the world. Yet I firmly believe that our teens are our leaders right now and to ignore that power and potential in our communities is a miss. 
Don't miss a post from Removing the Stumbling Block:

Posted by

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

You Might Also Like:

Do not publish, curate, sell, post, or distribute all or any part of this blog's content without express permission of the author. You are invited, however, to share links to posts on your webpage, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and other social networking sites. If you are interested in republishing any Removing the Stumbling Block content on your own blog, in a newsletter, or if you wish to use any content in another educational way, please contact me. I am also available to write unique content for your specific network.