The Board of Deputies has today announced the launch of a landmark Commission on Disability Inclusion in the Jewish Community, to be chaired by Vivian Wineman, a longstanding activist on disability inclusion and a past President of the Board of Deputies.
This new initiative builds on the Board’s recent flagship Commissions on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community and on Antisemitism and delivers on key commitments to ensure that every member of the community can participate fully in Jewish life.
The Commission on Disability Inclusion will examine the barriers faced by disabled Jews across the UK and set out practical, evidence-based recommendations for change. Its work will be shaped by panels of those with lived experience of disability; parents and carers; academic experts; and relevant Jewish communal organisations.
Over the coming weeks, the Commission will convene the Jewish community’s leading disability organisations to agree the Commission’s Terms of Reference and launch a community-wide call for evidence. This process is being designed in collaboration with disability experts from across the community to ensure it is accessible, inclusive and open to all who wish to contribute. The Board of Deputies’ Workplace & Inclusion Officer Noah Katz and Deputy & Community Engagement Manager Sara Radivan will provide the Secretariat to the Commission.
The Board is assembling a panel of academic specialists in disability, inclusion, social policy, and related fields. Those interested in contributing should email: disability@bod.org.uk with a brief overview of relevant experience.
Vivian Wineman, Chair of the Commission, said: “This Commission brings together two issues that have been profoundly important to me throughout my life. The first is supporting children with special needs. I have been involved in this work since long before my son Yair’s challenges became apparent. Special needs children, their parents and carers must have our support.
“It is entirely right that the community’s representative body should engage seriously with an issue of great importance to Jews across the country.
“This Commission is an opportunity for us to listen, learn, and act. I hope it will galvanise our community to ensure that every Jewish person with a disability – and every family supporting them – can fully participate in our communal life with dignity.”
Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies, said: “Our community thrives when every one of us can participate with dignity and confidence. When I stood to be president, I made a manifesto pledge to launch this commission as part of a wider commitment to championing inclusion as a core mission. I am pleased today to deliver on that promise. I am very grateful to Vivian for agreeing to chair this vital project, and I look forward to seeing the community come together to build a more accessible and inclusive future.”
Vice President Jeremy Michelson said: “I am so excited about the launch of the Commission on Disability Inclusion. I suffer from Congenital Nystagmus which left me very partially sighted, but fortunately I have accessed the community without needing help. Others are less fortunate. Disability comes in many forms, physical, mental, social and we need to make sure that our communal institutions are aware of the challenges faced by those with disabilities and make access as straightforward as possible. I hope that the proceedings of this commission will ensure that happens.”
Commission Secretariat Noah Katz and Sara Radivan said: “The Commission represents a vital step forward to break down the barriers faced by Jews with disabilities. We both have personal connections to this work and feel honoured to be working with Vivian for the whole community.”
A note on language: we acknowledge that there are likely to be differences of opinion when it comes to the language used in this Commission. The Commission will strive to be as inclusive as possible whilst aiming to avoid unnecessary complexity. At the time of announcement, we are by no means wed to specific phraseology to describe disability or those it impacts. It is anticipated that the terms used are likely to evolve during the writing up process and as guided by expertise.
Photo: Vivian Wineman, Chair of the Commission on Disability Inclusion in the Jewish Community (c) Tristan Benhamou | Board of Deputies of British Jews