[images of people doing various activities at the Centre with a textbox with the following words: âThe Miles Nadal JCC
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (JCC) Video Transcript Introduction: [Upbeat music plays in the background throughout the video] [words on a white background includes: “EnAbling Nonprofits Ontario Getting Staff & Volunteers on board with accessibility! Experiences from the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, Toronto, Ontario”] [logo for Miles Nadal JCC and Ontario Nonprofit Network are included] [image of the front entrance to the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre building. This fades into next section] What is the Miles Nadal JCC? [images of people doing various activities at the Centre with a textbox with the following words: “The Miles Nadal JCC is a dynamic hub in downtown Toronto. It provides opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to: ● ● ● ●
be active learn connect and participate in a wide ranges of cultural experiences”]
Liviya Mendelsohn, Manager, Accessibility and Inclusion: [Liviya stands in front of a gallery wall featuring black and white photographs] “We are looking at removing barriers from our programs, our services and our facilities but beyond that, really looking at the value of inclusion - how and why it’s important to our community and our neighbourhood and really making it manifest in everything that we do.” Harriet Wichin, Assistant Executive Director: [Harriet sits in front of a window with a church steeple behind her to the right] “If you want to be a community centre, and if accessibility is important, then you have to be open to who you’re not serving and really want to serve them.”
Shana Sandler, Accessible Yoga Instructor [Shana stands in a gym studio, with karate equipment behind her] “Being open to collaborating – I think that is the key word. Whether I’m instructing and interacting and learning from students or whether someone comes into the facility, I get to learn about them and their needs with them. It’s not making assumptions, it’s not having a little checklist of what you’re supposed to do – it’s just letting that go, being open, and really just connecting” Liviya Mendelsohn, Manager, Accessibility and Inclusion: [Liviya stands in front of a gallery wall featuring black and white photographs] “One of the first things we did around accessibility and inclusion was a community and neighbourhood needs assessment. So we sent electronic and paper surveys out to neighbourhood groups, to schools, to stakeholders in the community and everyone who’s participated in a program at our community centre so that we would get a wider perspective on where the gaps and needs are.” Miles Nadal JCC and community engagement: [a textbox is presented over videos of people interacting at the centre and participating in a sign language class] “Our people matter. The Miles Nadal JCC committed to community engagement by setting up: ● ● ● ●
Community Advisories Youth Advisories Staff Working Groups on accessibility and inclusion”
Elyse Parker, Community Advisory Committee: [Elyse stands inside near the front entrance to the Centre] “The first thing that happened on the committee was we needed to understand each other’s stories and one thinks one is relatively sensitive and then one hears the stories of others.” Ben Clement, Youth Advisory Committee: [Ben sits at a table in a meeting room]
“Me and my mom started an organization for youth with developmental disabilities and we decided to bring it to the JCC.” Liviya Mendelsohn, Manager, Accessibility and Inclusion: [Liviya stands in front of a gallery wall featuring black and white photographs] “We’ve also had staff take on projects to educate each other. Our Information and Communications Working Group created an accessible style guide that all of our staff can use when creating and designing internal and external communications.” Karen Goldenberg, Board Member: [Karen stands on the recreational rooftop of the JCC. Buildings in Toronto are behind her] “Many organizations like this one – they’re very, very busy – so you need someone committed to it, even if it’s not a full time thing to begin, with to change the consciousness and the culture of the organization.” [The following text is displayed over videos of participants in a sign language class: “Nonprofits: How can we continue to lead accessibility in Ontario?”] Shana Sandler, Accessible Yoga Instructor: [Shana stands in a gym studio, with karate equipment behind her] “So my advice to those working to create accessible communities and accessible environments is that openness. Sometimes things get really busy, your phone is ringing – it’s a lot about taking time. Let yourself have that time to be with the other person, to connect with the other person.” Liviya Mendelsohn, Manager, Accessibility and Inclusion: [Liviya stands in front of a gallery wall featuring black and white photographs] “There are so many resources available now around accessibility and inclusion in the province. So whether your organization has 3 staff or 300, there are accessible event planning guides, there are glossaries and terms of reference, there are templates that you can use for policies and there are webinars for training staff.” Elyse Parker, Community Advisory Committee: [Elyse stands inside near the front entrance to the Centre]
“We’re talking about the real life experience of people on a day-to-day basis.” Closing: [A grid of nine small videos of people and activities in the JCC is displayed, with Liviya’s interview as the centre image] “Ultimately, inclusion isn’t an initiative or a program. It’s an approach and a way of thinking.” [words on a white background with the Government of Ontario logo at the top, centre] EnAbling Nonprofits Ontario is an EnAbling Project with the Government of Ontario www.ontario.ca/accessibility
