People with Special Needs and Alcoholics Anonymous

Our Big Book says, ‘We are people who normally would not mix".  This is especially true when someone is a little “different" from the others. The rewards of giving this kind of service to a fellow alcoholic are immense!  Group unity grows stronger, the person with special needs is included and respected as a fully-participating member of the group, and everyone’s sobriety is strengthened.

A.A. Serves People with Special Needs

• A.A.'s generic guidelines for Serving Alcoholics with Special Needs are a useful resource for all A.A. groups. 
• Special Needs Workbook for A.A. groups

Also on this page are specific resources for:

• alcoholics who are hard of hearing
• visually impaired alcoholics
• developmentally disabled
• chronically ill, or homebound

AA's Toronto declaration states:

I am responsible…when anyone,
anywhere reaches out for help,
I want the hand of A.A. to always be there.
And for that, I am responsible

A.A. Illustrated Literature

A.A.'s illustrated literature is helpful for alcoholics with special needs :

Comic-book style stories about alcoholics Alice and Joe

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Alcoholics

The following material has been rewritten for reading and sign language: Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, A Brief Guide to A.A., A Deaf Newcomer Asks, Is A.A. for You?, Is A.A. for Me?, Do You Think You’re Different, How It Works, This Is A.A., A Newcomer Asks, and The Serenity Prayer.  Please contact your local A.A. Service Centre for more information about these.  A.A. has also written guidelines for carrying the message to the deaf alcoholic.

Blind and Visually Impaired Alcoholics

For A.A. members who are blind or visually impaired, simply getting to the meeting room can be the biggest problem.

Services and material available to help the blind or visually impaired alcoholic include books and pamphlets available in Braille, in large print, and a range of recorded media. There is also a huge range of recorded A.A. material on the internet.

Would you like to help?

Please contact us if you have suggestions about how this page can be used to create a resource for

• people within this community group who would like to help people with drinking problems
• alcoholics within this community group who are still suffering
• A.A. members in service groups that are working with this community group