Access Committee
The purpose of the Access Committee is to increase awareness of all issues that prevent access to AA meetings and to offer and develop resources that Oregon Area 58 groups and districts can use to make the AA message and participation in our program of recovery available to everyone who reaches out for it.
Service Positions
Chair
access@aa-oregon.org
About the Service Position
The Access Committee Chair serves as a resource in Oregon Area 58 for gathering and sharing information and experience from Districts, Groups, GSO, other AA areas on access issues and needs. This position is a 2-year commitment, rotating in even-numbered years.
The Access Committee is responsible for
Access issues apply to all alcoholics who have difficulties participating in AA, whether those barriers are mental, physical, geographic, cultural, ethnic, spiritual or emotional:
- Blindness or visual impairment;
- Deafness or difficulty hearing;
- Reading disabilities;
- Physical challenges and chronic illnesses;
- Elders or others who are homebound or in hospitals/care facilities and have difficulty getting to meetings;
- Parents without childcare and other caregivers;
- Underserved and remote communities.
District Access Committee Chairs
If you are a District Access Committee Chair, the General Service Office (GSO) will provide you with the Accessibilities Workbook, Guidelines and pamphlet literature, but not the complete Accessibilities Kit. To be listed as the Access Chair and receive these materials from GSO, send the following information via e-mail to access@aa.org:
- Full Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Name of the entity where you serve as committee chair (Area 58, District XX)
Also, please cc your message to the Oregon Area Access Chair at access@aa-oregon.org.
Oregon Area 58 Access Resources
The following resources provide helpful information on the wide range of Access issues that can be barriers to AA members and newcomers attending meetings and receiving the AA message through our literature.
Portland Deaf Access Committee
The Portland Deaf Access Committee (PDAC) is a group of AA members who work together to help make AA in the Portland Metro Area accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing alcoholics by hiring professional sign language interpreters for meetings or events. A calendar of interpreted meetings is available on the web site at http://www.pdacaa.org, and the committee can be reached via e-mail at pdxaccess@gmail.com. PDAC relies on donations to pay for interpreting services and accepts either cash or checks made payable to the Portland Deaf Access Committee mailed to Portland Deaf Access Committee, PO Box 68173, Portland, OR, 97268.