We try our best to accommodate to any dietary restrictions and work with our venues to ensure that all participants and staff have nutritious and nourishing meals and snacks for the entire Shabbaton. All of our food is certified Kosher and all meals will have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. If there are more specific dietary restrictions, please indicate so on your registration form. Upon request, our venues can provide an ingredient list. 

Rest is very important to have a good time at the Shabbaton. That being said, it is a jam packed weekend and bed times may be later than what some participants are used to. We encourage all participants to listen to their bodies and take breaks and rest when they need to. We just ask that participants check in with a staff member before taking a break, so staff know to check back in with the participant. There is also a dedicated period of free time on Saturday afternoon where we encourage participants to rest. Please see the sample schedule for an idea of what rest might look like.

Each of our Shabbaton venues looks different, so see below as to explanations of the physical accessibility of each space. For a more specific look at each venue, please reach out to us for maps of the spaces.

Midwest

The Midwest Shabbaton venue is located on a hill. The majority of the programming will take place in the lower level of the main building. The upper level is where participant rooms are and the lower level is where programming will take place. The lower level is accessible via stairs or by going outside, down a small hill, and through doors downstairs. The other two spaces where programming take place are fully accessible, in that that wheelchairs can fit through doors/halls, but the doors are not automatic or have a push button. There are gender neutral bathrooms accessible in all programming locations, and gendered bathrooms in the dining hall. All paths between locations are paved. Accessible rooms are available upon request.  

East Coast

The East Coast Shabbaton venue is a mountain-based campus, so there are naturally some hilly areas. The majority of the main-campus level, where the most of programming will take place is flat and fully accessible via paved paths/roads, ramps, and elevators. The space has multiple double doors, including the main entrance, an elevator, and specifically equipped wheelchair accessible rooms and bathrooms, which can be made available upon request. There are gender neutral bathrooms accessible in all programming locations, and gendered bathrooms in the dining hall.

West Coast

The West Coast Shabbaton venue is spaced out. The programming spaces are close together while the housing is across a footbridge in a separate part of the venue. While the space is physically accessible, the majority of the walkways are gravel based. There are ramps from the road up to the meeting spaces and all stairs have hand railings. There are gender neutral bathrooms accessible in all programming locations, and gendered bathrooms in the dining hall. Accessible rooms are available upon request. 

A limited number of large print materials will be available for Shabbaton-wide programs. Due to Shabbat, we will not be using visual aids like PowerPoints for much of the Shabbaton. Much of the programming at our Shabbaton is participant-led, and we encourage you in programming to share what you need to participate actively and fully in each of the programs. Please let us know if there are any other adaptive information needs you may have and we will try our best to accommodate and provide that information for you.

At all shabbatonim, we provide fidget/stim toys for participants to use in a respectful manner. We also encourage participants to bring their own sensory comfort items such as ear defenders/ANC headphones and weighted blankets/hoodies and stim freely. Earplugs will also be provided for times when the noise level gets too loud. We encourage participants to take breaks when they need and speak to staff members when they start to feel overwhelmed or overstimulated.

Participants are expected to keep track of and take their medications on their own and keep their medications in their room or on their person for when they need them. If you are taking a medication that requires refrigeration or other special storage, please email us at [email protected] and let us know so we can tell you where to store your medications at the Shabbaton.

Service animals are allowed at Keshet Shabbatonim. By definition, a service animal is any animal, usually a dog, that has been trained to work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. However, emotional support animals (also known as a comfort animal), pets that provide reassurance and comfort just by being with a person, are not permitted at Keshet Shabbatonim. 

You must let us know if you plan on bringing a service animal to a shabbaton. Please email Sawyer Goldsmith at [email protected] with this information. 

For specific access needs or questions about access needs, please reach out to Sawyer Goldsmith at [email protected].