Accessibility

The purpose of the Accessibility Committee is to increase awareness of all issues that prevent access to AA meetings and to offer and develop resources that Louisiana Area 27 groups and districts can use to make the AA message and participation in our program of recovery available to everyone who reaches out for it.

Get in Touch:

accessibility@aa-louisiana.org

more information
Accessibilities checklist
Building a district/group accessibility committee

What is Accessibility?

Access issues apply to all alcoholics who have difficulties participating in AA, whether those barriers are mental, physical, geographic, cultural, ethnic, spiritual, or emotional:
• Blindness or visual impairment
• Deafness or difficulty hearing
• Reading disabilities
• Physical challenges and chronic illnesses
• Elders or others who are homebound or in hospitals/care facilities and
have difficulty getting to meetings
• Parents without childcare and other caregivers
• Underserved and remote communities

Issues related to safety and inclusiveness also affects access to our meetings:
• Violent, inappropriate, disruptive, bullying, predatory, and illegal behaviors
• Sexual harassment or stalking
• Financial coercion
• Racial, sexual orientation, or gender identification intolerance
• Pressuring AA members into a particular point of view or belief relating to
medical treatments and/or medications, politics, religion, or other
outside issues
• Behaviors that go on outside of typical meeting times that affect whether
someone feels safe to return to the group

Accessibility Committee Chair

The Access Committee Chair serves as a resource in Louisiana Area 27 for gathering and sharing information and experience from Districts, Groups, GSO, other AA areas on access issues and needs. This position is a 2-year commitment, rotating in even-numbered years.

District Committee Chairs

If you are a District Access Committee Chair, the General Service Office (GSO) will provide you with the Accessibilities Workbook, Guidelines, and pamphlet literature, but not the complete Accessibilities Kit. To be listed as the Access Chair and receive these materials from GSO, send the following information via e-mail to access@aa.org: Full Name, Address, E-mail, Phone Number, and the name of the entity where you serve as committee chair (Area 27, District XX). Also, please cc your message to the Louisiana Area Accessibility Chair at accessibility@aa-louisiana.org.

RESOURCES FOR ACCESSIBILITIES:

Technology Help for Zoom Platforms

Remote Communities

Remote Communities Committees assist A.A. members who live in underserved or remote communities, communities that are difficult to reach because of geography, language, or culture.

For more information, please contact the Treatment/Accessibilities and Remote Communities  Desk at the General Service Office at access@aa.org or by phone at (212) 870-3344.

 

Military/Veterans

Happy to report that the three (3) AA Military audio interviews approved by the 2021 Conference Committee on Treatment and Accessibilities are now posted at:

 

ASL

The Big Book and “Twelve and Twelve” in ASL are live on the AAWS YouTube Channel. You now have access to AA literature in a new and engaging way. All videos are available with closed captions in English only.

View the Big Book in ASL:  Click here

View the “Twelve and Twelve” in ASL Click here

Visually Impaired

New M-34 (A.A. Big Book in Braille) 

The new reprint features:

  • Plastic coil binding so the book can lay flat for easy reading.
  • Each of the seven volumes has the same image as the (B-1) Big Book jacket. o This edition is translated to U.E.B. (Unified English Braille) from the older E.B.A.E.  (English Braille American Edition) in 2019.

AA Agnostics/Atheists

AA Literature, pamphlet:

Covid-19

Shared Experience 

During these extraordinary times, A.A. members, groups, and local committees found new challenges and successes to carry the A.A. message. Please send GSO your shared experience to the Accessibilities Coordinator at access@aa.org

Too Young to be an Alcoholic?

No one is too young to have trouble with alcohol. Alcoholism is an illness that affects people of all ages, the rich, the poor, men and women. It doesn’t matter how long, or how much you drink. When your life seems to be going nowhere, or it feels out of control and you think drinking might have something to do with it, it usually does. Here is some information for young people:

Safety in AA

 

Want to Get Involved?

Would you like to join others who have passion and interest in service that increases awareness of these access issues? The Louisiana Area 27 Accessibility Committee needs you! Please send an email with your contact information and how you would like to be involved to Accessibility@aa-louisiana.org