Purpose

To assist groups in removing or diminishing obstacles caused by accessibility challenges for any alcoholic who reaches out for help. The Area 26 Accessibilities Committee’s goal is to strive to find solutions to help ensure every alcoholic who wants help can take part in any respect of the AA program by participating in AA meetings, Twelfth Step work, and AA general service work, no matter what the potential access need may be.

What are the potential access needs of alcoholics?

• Mobility issues, use of a wheelchair, walker, cane
• Deaf Alcoholic (DAA) or hard of hearing (HOH)
• Blind or low vision
• Reading comprehension or writing difficulties
• Elder alcoholics – Oldtimers have given us so much.
• Language or cultural differences, Spanish speaking – in need of interpretation
• Mental health challenges
• Remote communities
• Parents unable to access suitable childcare to attend meetings
• Homebound – Chronically ill, nursing home, hospital, or assisted living home residents
• Underserved communities, perhaps LGBTQ, transgender

Who can help?

General Service Representative (GSR) / Each Group

Important 1st Step – Evaluate your group. How accessible is your meeting? The following link is a guide to help reduce the physically based access barriers that a person may encounter when attending meetings in your location.

This checklist is an excellent tool –

Accessibilities Checklist for Meetings and Groups

If we can do a better job of reaching out to alcoholics who face access barriers in receiving the A.A. message, we help them to carry the message to other alcoholics they may already know or will encounter, providing a powerful example that it’s possible to achieve sobriety despite perceived barriers.

District Committee Member (DCM)

DCMs can probe their groups to see if there is a desire for help creating or maintaining a district Accessibilities Chairperson, hosting a workshop with Area 26 Accessibilities Committee Chairperson and other Area 26 Committee Members, or being a liaison between Area 26 and the district groups.

All AA members

Area 26 Accessibilities Committee is open to all alcoholics. We need your help.

If you have an access need you would be a valuable member of this Committee through your experience and ideas.

If you have an interest, we are looking for new members with a desire to help eliminate or diminish barriers to receiving the AA message for all alcoholics.

If you want to help make the A.A. message accessible to all alcoholics, please contact accessibilities@area26.net

Help Area 26 Accessibilities Committee Learn What They need To Focus On To Help The Fellowship!

Take this 3-question Survey!