Rabbi Avi Weiss is actually a model for inclusion of those with disabilities. Whenever he sees someone in a wheelchair or even just with a walker in the men’s section of the synagogue, he always walks over to greet the person and to make sure the person feels included. When people are dancing on Simchat Torah or even a normal Friday night service, he walks over to the people in wheelchairs or with walkers, takes their hand and sways with them. He offers each one a sefer torah at least once on ST. He also includes those with intellectual disabilities as well. The building has a ramp to the main beit knesset and a Shabbat elevator for those who can’t get to the upper floors any other way. And for the people who can’t make it to shul, we go to local retirement homes on ST and have a brief torah reading where all the frail elderly men can get an aliyah. I can’t tell you how much these folks appreciate it — it is really moving.
One can disagree with many of Rabbi Weiss’s halachic positions and follow a different torah hashkafah, but in this particular issue I think all of us can agree that he is following the Torah-true path.
I also attend another shul, a small congregation whose old building is not handicapped accessible. I hope that we can grow the congregation so that we can have the money to change that.