Accessibilities

Accessibilities

Access to the Message

The Members of the Accessibilities Committee explore, develop and offer resources to make the Alcoholics Anonymous message, and participation in our program, available to everyone who reaches out for it.

Basic Committee Functions

The purpose of the Accessibilities Committee is to serve all Alcoholics making the AA message available to members with diverse accessibility needs. This would include those who may be hearing-, visually-, or speech-impaired, those who are homebound, chronically ill, those who use wheelchairs, walkers or crutches, and those who are developmentally challenged or who suffer from brain damage, stroke, etc. Whatever their challenge may be, it is hoped that they would never be excluded from AA meetings, Twelve Step work or AA service.

Committee Chair

The Accessibilities Committee Chair is an appointed position on the Area Service Committee. For more information about the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson, please see the Job Description below.

Contact the Accessibilities Chair by email:

For those wishing to submit their resumes for either an elected or appointed position on the Area 79 Area Service Committee, please download the suggested service resume form Service Resume . The link will reroute you to our elections section of our website. The use of the resume form is not mandatory for either elected positions or appointed positions. However, its use does assist both the candidate and the Fellowship in several ways. These include the provision of consistent information in an organized way and assisting candidates in adhering to time limits for presentation of resumes.

To let your name stand for an appointed position please see: Elections Page

Further Information

The information available below may be helpful to those seeking to carry the A. message to those with Accessibility concerns. The links are to pages on AA’s World Services Website (www.aa.org) from which the following resources may be accessed:

Accessibilities Workbook (M-48i) (pdf)
A.A. Guidelines; Accessibility for All Alcoholics (pdf)
Serving All Alcoholics (F-107) (pdf)

Accessibilities Chair: Job Description

The Accessibilities Committee in BC/Yukon Area 79 falls under the responsibility of the Treatment and Accessibilities chair position.

The chair works with our Area’s Districts, Groups and members to provide assistance to all alcoholics who have difficulties participating in Alcoholics Anonymous. This includes those who may be visually, hearing- or speech- impaired; those who are homebound or chronically ill; those who use wheelchairs, walkers or crutches; and those who are developmentally challenged or who suffer from brain damage, stroke, etc. Whatever their challenge may be, it is hoped that no one will ever be excluded from A.A. meetings, Twelfth Step work or AA service.

Duties

  • Assist districts, groups and members in carrying the message to all Alcoholics making the AA message available to members with diverse accessibility needs.
  • Help to provide a link between the members with diverse accessibility needs with their local District and or group.
  • Be available to assist Districts in setting up Accessibility Committee’s through workshops; providing information about Accessibilities to individual members.
  • Answer any contacts and requests for information as they apply to Accessibilities.

Duties Common to all ASC Members

  • Attend and participate in all regularly scheduled Area Service Committee (ASC) meetings (held in Vancouver on the first Wednesday of each month). Meetings could also be held virtually when necessary.
  • Reply to email, telephone and written questions. Willingness to learn and develop computer/technical skills as necessary.
  • Attend and participate in all quarterlies and assemblies in-person or virtually as required.
  • At each quarterly, assembly and ASC meeting, provide reports on activities since the previous event.
  • Chair appropriate committee at quarterlies and assemblies. Assist with venue set up and tear down.
  • Maintain contact with district and local committee chairs.
  • Maintain contact with district committee members (DCMs) assigned to ASC member’s committee.
  • Submit regular monthly expense reports to the treasurer.
  • Participate in preparation for the Area Service Conference by reviewing and summarizing the assigned agenda background material, providing information to DCMs, chairing the committee meeting at the Pre-conference Assembly, and providing the committee’s recommendations to the assembly and delegate.
  • Facilitate workshops.
  • Participate on Ad Hoc committees as required.
  • Be available for travel assignments, including taking Area 79 archives and/or Grapevine kits to A.A. events.
  • Review www.bcyukonaa.org content as it relates to the member’s position, providing updates and new materials to the website chair as needed.
  • Prepare and assist for transition of your position at end of your rotation. Ensure flash drive is updated regularly and provided to Secretary annually.
  • Maintaining blue boards/display boards and literature supplies for travel events.

Further Considerations

  • The time commitment required is substantial and will vary from position to position, and also with the particular skills possessed by the member. Generally, some time will be spent every day to check and respond to emails and phone messages. Some jobs have workloads that are heavier at certain times than at others.
  • It is encouraged that you speak with members of the ASC (current or past) to ask more specific questions if you wish to put your name forward for a position.
  • Area Service Committee membership may sound demanding, but, as we so often find in A.A., the rewards are far greater than time and effort put in.