Our Purpose
- Explore, develop, and offer alternatives so the A.A. message (Steps, Traditions and Concepts) is accessible to everyone who reaches out for it.
- Help all A.A. members better understand how to carry the message to those members with special needs.
- The respect for the dignity of others is the foundation for all our efforts to carry the message to the alcoholic with special needs with the emphasis on identification.
What we do:
- Be a place for the alcoholic with special needs or other A.A. members to reach out to for help.
- Act as a clearinghouse for information to share the accumulated experience and knowledge in the Special Needs arena.
- Raise the awareness of Special Needs throughout A.A.
How do we do it:
- Provide a focal point for people with special needs.
- Bring awareness of Special Needs to the highest level of A.A. and work to bring assistance to the individual with a special need.
S.E.N.Y. defines A.A.s with special needs as persons who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, wheelchair users, homebound or chronically ill, developmentally disabled or sober over sixty.
- Blind or Visual Problems – A.A. literature is available in Braille, Audio Tapes and Large Print. Follow link to find A.A. Literature: https://onlineliterature.aa.org/products
- Deaf – ASL interpreted meeting and Closed Caption A.A. tapes.
- The Sober Voices Group Telephone Meetings, are registered with our New York World Service Office. Follow link to meeting information: https://sites.google.com/site/aatelephonemeetings/home
- A.A. Telephone Meetings Click on A.A. Telephone Meetings for Information.
- Homebound or Chronically Ill – Maintain a Home Meeting List of Volunteers who can bring a meeting into a home or hospital.
- Physically Challenged – Wheelchair accessible meeting.
- Limited reading Skills/Developmentally Disabled – Encourage group members to spend a little extra time with them.
- Sober Over Sixty (SOS) – Night driving, health, weather, etc.
- In need of assistance in getting to a meeting – Call a group member to help.
What we are not: Doctors, lawyers, social workers or a taxi service.
Summary: There are materials and services available for alcoholics with special needs, If you know of an alcoholic with special needs, want more information or wish to join our efforts all you need do is contact your County Special Needs Committee Chairperson.
Additional Responsibilities of the Special Needs Committee Chair
- Helps develop and reports on suggestions from the Special Needs Committee with respect to better ways to carry the A.A. message to alcoholics with special needs.
- Attends the S.E.N.Y. Special Needs Committee Chair’s meetings.
- Maintains an active list of volunteers for phone calls and bringing meetings to the home bound.
- Coordinates a periodic county Special Needs or Homebound workshop.
- Attends the monthly Staten Island General Services Meeting held on the second Sunday of every month.
Please email accessibility-specialneeds@statenislandaa.org for more information.