Over the past several decades, the Baltimore Jewish community has placed a large emphasis on inclusion for people with learning disabilities and neurodiversity to create meaningful Jewish experiences for all, but it’s not always apparent what resources are available today.
The Macks Jewish Connection Network, Jewish Community Services and local synagogues work to create inclusive spaces for neurodiverse Jews and give them resources to succeed in multiple areas of their lives outside of the spiritual.
“We offer consultation with Jewish organizations. We work with some of the synagogues to help them make their services as sensory-friendly as possible. We’ve had a few synagogues that have taken it upon themselves to create occasional, some of them monthly, sensory-friendly gathering services specifically for neurodivergent individuals,” said Rachel Turniansky, the director of diversity and inclusion services at The Network.
Turniansky said that many organizations are centering inclusive programming around teens and young adults to bolster available opportunities available.
The Network has been learning about the need for specific inclusive resources from interactions with the community voicing concerns about the suitability of local events for neurodiverse people and has worked to ensure people can access resources.
The Network provides a “lending library” of sensory equipment for organizations, individuals and families to try out before purchasing. They also have “sensory kits” for single events that can create sensory-safe spaces.
The Network has a disability resource coordination service with their director, Martha Goodman, that offers help getting Individualized Education Programs and 504 plans for students and free advocacy services.
Turniansky said Goodman helps people get anything from vocational support to transitioning to adult support services or educational programs through colleges to meet their individual needs.
“Martha really works with families to figure out what they’re looking for and how to help them find that,” Turniansky said.
For parents with kids dealing with significant special needs, The Associated offers Gesher LaTorah, a program that provides Jewish special education to students between ages 5 and 21.
For neurodivergent or disabled people looking to get involved in a career field, the Jewish Community Services offers their Specialized Employment Support Services program.
Jamie Leboe, the associate senior manager of employment support services at the JCS, said the organization helps job seekers with disabilities figure out what career they’d be interested in pursuing, teach job readiness skills, provide training, find jobs that match their skills, abilities and interests and help them get those jobs.
“We’re teaching skills. We’re not just helping get the job and leaving you there. We’re helping you learn to transition into the position. So, whatever that job entails, we’re helping the person to learn how to do it, to make a smooth transition in and be successful in that position,” said Leboe.
Leboe said they work with potential employers to advocate for the people they serve, explaining why an individual would be good for a job position based on their skills and abilities rather than focusing on their disability.
JCS teaches self-advocacy skills so that people can speak up for themselves, Leboe said. Once a person gets a job, the organization does job coaching and offers resources to give the person independence with their career.
JCS has resources for counseling, advocacy and other needs for disabled individuals or their families along with an assisted living program, such as a Chaverim Club for adults with disabilities that meets bimonthly and weekly activities at the Owings Mills JCC.
“Everybody wants to live a full, productive life, and everybody’s entitled to do just that. The more people that have the resources, the more people can live the life they envision for themselves,” Leboe said.
Leboe said that more people are becoming aware of the available resources for disability inclusion; around 60 people receive employment support services and the organization welcomes referrals so they can help more people.
Turniansky echoed that sentiment of raising awareness, and said The Associated and The Network have put in time and effort to be an inclusive space while helping local Jewish organizations do the same.
“It’s really rooted in Jewish values that each individual is an important part of the community, and when there are different types of barriers in place, whether it’s a physical disability or in the case of someone who’s neurodivergent, it’s what we call an ‘invisible disability,’ those people have valuable contributions to make to the community, and everyone benefits from figuring out ways to break down those barriers, because our community is richer when the diversity of the Jewish community can really flourish,” Turniansky said.
