June 11, 1998 - In honor of Deaf/Blind Awareness Week, which commemorates the birth date of Helen Keller (born on June 27, 1880), the Orthodox Union (OU) is offering a free guide to help synagogues become more blind/deaf-friendly.

"On the anniversary of Helen Keller’s birth date, it is only appropriate that we continue her tradition of sensitizing the broader public to the needs of the deaf, the blind and the visually impaired in the community," said Rabbi Eliezer Lederfeind, Director of Our Way, the OU program for the deaf and the deaf/blind. "The majority of deaf, blind and visually impaired Jews never attend synagogue, and those who do go to services often miss the meaning of the ritual."

The guide, entitled "Strategies for Inclusion: Creating a Synagogue That is Blind/Deaf-Friendly," provides helpful tips including:

• Make sure to provide interpreters for services, rabbis’ speeches and other events
  
• Educate the broader community about disabilities; provide classes teaching sign language; invite experts to speak on disabilities.
  
• Encourage congregants to interact with deaf/blind or visually impaired worshippers

"There is a catch-22. Because deaf and visually impaired people are not generally associated with synagogues, the synagogues have not been motivated to provide

services. And because the services are not there, the deaf and visually impaired tend to stay away," said Rabbi Lederfeind. "Hopefully, our guide will encourage synagogues to reach out more to the disabled."

Established in 1969, Our Way is the only Jewish movement reaching out to deaf and the deaf-blind across the country and bridging the gap between the hearing and the non-hearing worlds. Through a vast array of programs including Shabbatonim, holiday celebrations, Torah Study groups, summer tours, family retreats, conventions and special signing publications, Our Way provides spiritual and social opportunities for nearly 1,000 Jewish deaf youths.

The Orthodox Union, celebrating 100 years of service to the Jewish community of the United States and countries throughout the world, is a world leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 200,000 products in 56 countries around the globe.

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