Accessibilities Committee
The Santa Cruz AA Accessibilities Committee meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5p. We currently meet on Zoom. Contact accessibility@aasantacruz.org to join!
Are Accessibility Committees approved by AA?
Yes. See the Accessibilities Committees website (aa.org/accessibilities-committees).
What is an Accessibility Committee? Why do we need one?
As noted on the AA Accessibilities Committees website, “Accessibilities Committees explore, develop, and offer resources to alcoholics with significant barriers to receiving the Alcoholics Anonymous message and to participating in our program of recovery. We want A.A. to be available to all alcoholics who reach out for it.”
Approximately 20% of Americans identify as disabled, and we can expect that alcoholics of all ages are disabled. These disabilities may be apparent (such as using a walker and being hard of hearing) or invisible (such as a learning disability or mental health diagnosis). The Accessibilities Committee is run by, and for, disabled alcoholics and their allies.
What does the Accessibility Committee do?
Overall, an Accessibilities Committee does two things. (1) The committee solves disability-related issues that come up. (2) The committee creates an inclusive and accessible atmosphere for disabled people in AA.
What projects will the Accessibility Committee work on?
The committee is getting started with three projects:
- Sharing this handout with intergroup members, who share it at meetings.
- Building a website that provides access to AA materials in alternate forms (in video, in Spanish, and in ASL). (Coming out soon!)
- Developing a “basic tips for accessible AA meetings” handout and webpage.
Longer-term projects are determined by committee members and may include updating physical access notes in the meeting list, identifying go-to captioners and ASL interpreters for AA events in Santa Cruz County, contributing to the newsletter, and providing accessibility feedback on major events/meetings.
Who oversees the committee?
The committee was established in 2025 and is overseen by the Santa Cruz County Intergroup (aasantacruz.org/intergroup/).
Who is the contact for the committee?
We welcome feedback and new members! Meetings are currently on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 5p on Zoom. Please contact accessibility@aasantacruz.org.
Note: The Santa Cruz AA Accessibilities Committee does not offer legal or medical advice or support.