What Is The Language Of The Heart Initiative?
The Language Of The heart Initiative is a service project carried out by the Austin Bid For ICYPAA. It is a project with the initiative to bring an overall awareness to those who have a barrier between them and the message of Alcoholics Anonymous. The project is broken down into parts that will bring an overall change of the way the service structure, groups and individuals will carry the message to members who have trouble accessing the message of Alcoholics Anonymous in all four areas of Texas and beyond. It is a project which will take years to complete but we feel we have an effective method to help bring about the change.
WHAT IS ACCESSIBILITY IN THE AA GENERAL SERVICE STRUCTURE
Accessibility is a simple but broad term in AA General Service. It is simply making sure the alcoholic who has trouble accessing the message of AA gets access. This could be members who have accessibility issues such as: deaf, hard of hearing, blind, color blind, wheel chair bound, home bound, hospital bound,
members in nursing homes, and many others could be included.
Per the Accessibility Guidelines:
Accessibility challenges apply to all alcoholics who have difficulties participating in Alcoholics Anonymous, whether those are mental, physical, geographic, cultural, or other factors that vary among people. Some of these alcoholics may experience barriers to accessing the A.A.
message, including the literature, meetings, Twelve Step work, and the service structure.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Imagine going to your first meeting and you could not understand anything of what was said
because the message was being carries was in a foreign language?
Many of our deaf members can relate to this scenario and because ASL interpreters are expensive and
this is an issue for many of our members daily.
Imagine getting your first Big Book and when you get it you realize that it is in another language?
Many of our blind members can relate to this. Thankfully there is braille literature which can be readily
made available.
Imagine trying to get to your first meeting and because of a medical condition you could not go?
Many of our members who are home bound, nursing home bound or medically bound can relate to this.
Thankfully there are responsible members of Alcoholics Anonymous who carry the message to some of
them, but they are often forgotten.
Below is the full PDF of the project in its entirety. We also have proposals for Accessibility committee’s at the Area and District level as well as, and at the home group level.
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