***5-18-2026 – We are currently a committee of 10 people from Area 23 Southern Indiana. Besides a chairperson, we have an alternate chairperson and a secretary.
Our first committee meeting was on March 23, 2026; our second meeting was on April 27, 2026. We will generally be meeting on the fourth Monday of each month at 7 pm (eastern) for the duration of 2026 and 2027, except in May of this year due to it being Memorial Day. Our next meeting will be on June 22, 2026.
We have a committee member who has an extensive background in carpentry and design, building and codes for ADA items such as ramps and sidewalks. If we have a need for his services, he very much wants to help.
We have a member from District 18 b&c who is arranging a volunteer schedule within her district for taking meetings to AA members who cannot get out to physical meetings because of mobility issues. She is very enthusiastic and there have been a number of volunteers from the Terre Haute community step up to the task of carrying the message of recovery to our homebound members.
We are also looking into translations for our Spanish community. There are issues with translations for our Spanish speaking members within Area 23 and the committee is in communications with other Area 23 officers and committee chairs about this matter.
Even though our guidelines and other committee information (unless I have missed it) do not specifically address translations into other languages, besides ASL for the deaf and those who are hard of hearing, it is definitely a barrier which can keep our Spanish speaking members from fully participating in AA, particularly service at the Area level.
I have contacted the previous Accessibilities Chairperson for information on a past interpreter and am awaiting her response. They really want to be of service but it’s difficult for them to fully understand what is being said at our Area Assemblies. Our Area officers have expressed that this issue is very important to them and is high on their list of priorities.
I will be contacting other North American Areas, inquiring about their translation systems, and their learning curves to the full use of these systems, as well as emailing the General Service Desk for their input toward solutions.
It’s an honor and a privilege to be of service.
Rose B – Area 23 Accessibilities Chair
8-18-2026 Accessibilities Committee 3rd Quarter Report
Hi, I’m Rose. I’m an alcoholic and the current Area 23 Accessibilities Chair.
As described in our Accessibilities Workbook: The purpose of the Accessibilities Committee is to “explore, develop and offer resources to make the Alcoholics Anonymous message and participation in our program of recovery available to all alcoholics who reach out for it.
“To help with accessibility needs we have literature in Braille, and easy-to-read pamphlets in regular and large print (as well as in many languages), and other audio-visual materials.”
We provide American Sign Language Services (ASL) and Spanish translation when needed for our Area Assemblies, state convention, and service weekend.
We have a committee member who has extensive experience as a carpenter, with background in design and building codes for ADA items such as ramps and sidewalks.
We have another committee member who has begun bringing meetings into homes of AA members who are home-bound. We have women taking meetings into women’s homes but we’re also looking for men who will bring meetings into men’s homes as well.
We have a few presentations coming up: Aug 29th in Terre Haute at a softball tournament, Sept 26th in Vincennes for Dist 12/14/16, and possibly another in Columbus at Dist 4’s district meeting, date to be determined.
If you’d like to help with an Accessibilities project, or if you’d like us to give a short presentation about Accessibilities at an event in your district, you can email me at accessibilitieschair@area23aa.org.
Please check with the meetings you go to and ask around about anyone who may need help getting to meetings and reach out to me so we can discuss what can be done. You’re welcome to join our monthly meetings at 7pm on the 4th Monday of each month; the link is attached to the Area event calendar.
It’s an honor and a privilege to serve, Rose B.