Strengthening the Collective Us: Celebrating JDAIM

 
This article was originally published in eJewish Philanthropy.

By Lisa Handelman, Federation’s Community Disability Inclusion Specialist

This February marks the 9th annual Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). This global campaign to advance disability inclusion is, at its core, a movement for cultural change. It is a paradigm shift from a focus on kindness to a demand for justice; from the idea that inclusion is about helping others to the knowledge that it is about strengthening the collective us; from creating particular programs to making all opportunities accessible. Change can be a gradual “two steps forward, one step back” journey. It requires recognizing progress and constant reflection on what still needs to be accomplished.