In 2012, a small group of Jewish philanthropists and foundations began asking a simple but transformative question: What would it take for people with disabilities to be fully included in Jewish life?

At the time, this was not a mainstream conversation. I came to it because I found that a beloved member of our family was excluded from Jewish schools, camps and other experiences because Jewish organizations were not willing or able to include people with disabilities. Many other families were experiencing the same exclusion.

A group of people who were active in Jewish philanthropy, but who had found that their families were not welcomed in Jewish life due to disability access issues, connected through the Jewish Funders Network. Together, they helped bring disability inclusion into the philanthropic spotlight. Other philanthropists joined as allies. The Ruderman Family Foundation made it a central focus of its work. My family and I co-founded RespectAbility with Donn Weinberg, Shelley Cohen and others to advance employment, opportunity and dignity. Organizations such as MATAN and SULAM expanded access in Jewish schools and synagogues. The Foundation for Jewish Camp helped camps make enormous strides toward welcoming every child.

These efforts changed lives and helped shift the narrative from charity to belonging.

February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Action Month, but it must be a year-round focus. More than a decade later, there has been real progress, but full inclusion is still not the norm. The next phase requires moving from good intentions on inclusion to the expectation that all Jewish groups will at least do the things that are free and easy to do in order to advance inclusion.

Progress is real — and measurable

Through the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund, we have asked grant applicants about disability inclusion for years. Our sample is not large, and should not be seen as sector-wide. It includes 168 unique organizations that we support. In the group, 46 are Jewish and 125 are non-Jewish nonprofit organizations. Still, it offers important insights.

The data shows that Jewish nonprofits have a strong commitment in several areas. They are more likely to serve people with disabilities, include people with disabilities on boards and train volunteers and leaders in welcoming practices. Among organizations we have supported over multiple years, Jewish groups were more likely to improve than their non-Jewish peers. This demonstrates something powerful: When funders ask questions and set expectations, our grantees have told and shown us that change can  happen.

The data shows clear areas of progress — and opportunities for improvement.

This picture is encouraging. Jewish organizations are especially strong in community participation and leadership awareness. But we lag in employment, digital accessibility and formal systems.

Accessibility is not primarily about cost

We have heard from our grantees that one reason for the lack of disability inclusion is the false perception that it is too complicated or expensive. Yet many core accessibility practices are simple and cost little or nothing. Turning on AI captions in Zoom, Teams or Google Meets is free. Choosing accessible venues often costs no more. Adding accommodation fields to registration forms is simple. Allowing hybrid participation is increasingly standard.

When something is free or low cost, the goal should not be 50% or 70% adoption. It should be 100%.

When half of our organizations are not using captions, that is not a budget problem. It is a moral and leadership problem.

Accessibility must be visible

It is also not enough to be accessible. Potential participants need to know accessibility is available before they register. If people do not see things like captioning listed, accommodation options clearly offered or accessible locations communicated, they may never sign up in the first place.

Inclusion expands participation and strengthens sustainability

This is not only about values. It is also about growth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1-in-4 in the United States has some form of disability. This includes hearing, vision, mobility, cognitive and mental health conditions.

This means accessibility is one of the largest untapped opportunities for Jewish engagement.

Some of our most loyal participants and donors are aging. Many are acquiring disabilities over time. When we make Jewish life accessible, we retain longtime supporters, expand participation, welcome new families and strengthen community resilience.

This is not charity. It is strategy.

The next phase

The early 2010s wave of disability inclusion was driven by visionary funders, champions and superstar advocates with disabilities such as Liz Weintraub and Matan Koch. In many institutions, however, inclusion was not fully embedded into systems, budgets and accountability structures. As Jewish organizations faced security threats, rising antisemitism and other urgent priorities, disability inclusion often slipped to the periphery of the agenda. Yet disability intersects with aging, mental health, workforce participation and community belonging. It is not a niche issue. It is central to our future.

We have already proven that change is possible. The next phase requires:

1. Inclusive employment and lay leadership pathways.
Serving people with disabilities is not enough. We must recruit, hire and promote talented people with disabilities at every level of Jewish communal life. That means ensuring board opportunities, job postings and application portals are accessible, offering hybrid and flexible work options, and normalizing accommodations such as captions, assistive technology, written instructions and quiet workspaces. Staff should be able to structure workdays that allow time for medical appointments, mental health support, therapy or needed rest breaks without stigma or penalty. As our workforce ages, retaining employees who acquire disabilities over time should be standard practice. Inclusive employment is not charity — it strengthens performance, loyalty and institutional memory.

2. Built-in accessibility.
Accessibility should be the default in every event, communication and space. Turn on captions for meetings and programs. Include an accommodation request field in every registration form. Choose physically accessible venues and clearly list accessibility features in advance. Ensure websites and digital materials are compatible with screen readers and use plain language when possible. AI can do much of that for you instantly, so long as you check it for accuracy. When accessibility is built into systems rather than handled case by case, it costs little, reduces stress for staff and participants, and dramatically expands who feels welcome to show up.

3. Accountability.
Inclusion becomes sustainable when it is measured and expected. Funders and boards can ask about disability representation in staffing and governance, require basic accessibility practices in grants and events, and track progress over time. Organizations can designate a staff lead or advisory group to monitor implementation and report annually on improvements. What gets measured gets managed. When inclusion is tied to leadership priorities and evaluation, it moves from aspiration to standard practice.

More than a decade ago, the Jewish community began an important journey. We moved from invisibility to awareness. Now we must move from awareness to universal belonging and leadership.

Our tradition teaches that every person is created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. That belief calls us to action.

The progress we have made shows what is possible. The work ahead shows what is necessary.

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi is co-founder of the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund and a longtime advocate for disability inclusion and Jewish communal leadership. She currently serves as a Maryland Climate Commissioner and co-founder of the Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake.