Accessibilities

“AA unity is not based upon authority but upon accepting differences, allowing freedom, and keeping our focus on the primary purpose of helping one another achieve and maintain sobriety.”

-Milton Maxwell, Chairman of the General Service Board, 1980

Who We Are

The District 3B Accessibilities Committee is an AA service committee dedicated to providing materials and resources to serve the members of Alcoholics Anonymous with accessibility issues. We work in cooperation with SWTA 68 Accessibilities Committee and other Accessibilities Committees throughout the area.

The purpose of the Accessibilities Committee is to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous to those who are blind or visually impaired; deaf or hard of hearing; chronically ill or home bound, and those who are Dyslexic or have other learning difficulties .

Who in your AA group has an accessibility barrier? 

  • AA members with Mobility issues, use of a wheelchair, walker, cane

  • AA members who are Deaf Alcoholic  or hard of hearing 

  • Blind AA members 

  • Elder alcoholics – Oldtimers have given us so much.

  • Spanish speaking AA members – in need of interpretation

  • AA members who have small children and need baby-sitting 

  • Homebound – due to illness or age 

  • AA members with reading difficulties 

How the Accessibilities Committee Seeks to Serve

  • Share AA Guidelines and resources  on welcoming and working with those AA members who are Deaf, Blind, wheelchair bound, homebound, or learning difficulties.

  • Provide information on A.A. literature in a variety of formats:  Braille, American Sign Language DVDs, audio cassettes, CDs, large print, and illustrated pamphlets and brochures.

  • Share how to effectively welcome and include all our AA members who have accessibility barriers and insure that they become a valued part of the home groups, including looking at attitudes that prevent some from accepting these individuals as just another AA member seeking fellowship, sponsorship, and service. 

  • Give reports of on-going activities of the Accessibility service going on in the District or Area. 

  • Provide Information on  wheelchair-accessible meetings, baby-sitting meetings with , interpreted meetings for Spanish  and ASL 

  • Encourage groups to organize meetings for homebound AA members

  • Encourage AA members  to  organize rides for home group members who are blind. 

  • Provide on-line resources  and hold workshops.

  • Collaborate with GSO , SWTA, and all interested AA members.

When We Meet

The Accessibility Committee  meets on the 4th Thursday, of each month  

Contact Norma A. Accessibilities committee Chair,  for location: accessibilities@district3b.org

Please join us!

On-line Resources

Accessibilities Checklist: https://www.aa.org/accessibilities-checklist-meetings-and-groups

Deaf AA: https://sites.google.com/view/deafaa/home

On-line Intergroup: https://aa-intergroup.org

“Respect for the dignity of others is the foundation for all our efforts to carry the message to alcoholics with diverse needs, with emphasis on identification rather than on how we are different.”

-AA Guidelines