I’m sitting at the dining room table (or “desk”) at the Washington DC home of my dear friend, Rabbi Lynne Landsberg. She is one of the driving forces behind inclusion of people with disabilities in sacred communities. As someone who sustained a devastating traumatic brain injury (TBI)12 years ago in a traffic accident, Lynne’s incredible and ongoing work to live her life fully is guided, I think, by her passion and respect for all people, and her belief that she must be strong enough to make the difference in society that is her destiny.

We attended a Vietnamese New Year party last Saturday night. The food was awesome and our hostess made sure that she made plenty of dishes without pork. Now that’s hospitality and inclusion! As we talked about rituals and traditions I learned that if you think good thoughts about good things on the New Year, then that is how your year will be. And, the opposite would also apply, according to our hosts.

We are busy planning our 2012 conference and travel schedules. I will be in the Washington DC area Feb. 5-12 to participate in JDAM 2012 Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill and am speaking at several locations in Washington DC. I will be in Los Angeles Feb. 28 and 29 keynoting the Los Angeles Jewish Community Inclusion Conference Feb. 29 and speaking at other events.
I will also be in the Baltimore MD area the first week of May.
Please contact me to chat about how we, at Inclusion Innovations, can partner with you to turn your good intentions into action!
Happy 2012 and warmest regards,
Shelly Christensen
Founder Inclusion Innovations LLC
Co-Founder Jewish Disability Awareness Month

More of the same, that’s for sure!

I was thinking about analogies for inclusion to help people understand the intentional nature of change thinking and how to really get results. If you think that becoming an inclusive congregation is strictly intuitive, and happens without much dedication and effort it’s time that I fall back on something I know as well as inclusion, maybe better, as an analogy: Losing weight.