FAQs List

Does the AA Deaf Intergroup of Central Texas work with Hill Country Intergroup?

Yes. The AA Deaf Intergroup of Central Texas (AADI) works in cooperation with Hill Country Intergroup, but we are separate service entities within Alcoholics Anonymous.

AADI originally developed from the Deaf Access Committee (DAC) that was part of Hill Country Intergroup. As the Deaf AA community grew, AADI became its own intergroup to better serve Deaf and hard-of-hearing members directly.

Today:

• Hill Country Intergroup serves the broader Austin AA community

• AADI focuses specifically on Deaf and hard-of-hearing AA members

• Both groups work together when needed to support AA’s primary purpose of carrying the message

While we collaborate on shared goals such as accessibility, meeting support, and service coordination, each intergroup operates independently within the AA service structure.

Is AADI part of Alcoholics Anonymous?

Yes. AADI is part of the AA service structure and follows AA’s Traditions and Concepts of Service. We are not separate from AA—we are a service body helping carry the AA message within the Deaf community.

We are self-supporting through AA principles and operate within the fellowship of AA.

Is AADI affiliate with any organization? 

No. AADI is part of Alcoholics Anonymous and follows AA’s Twelve Traditions. We are not affiliated with any outside organization, agency, or institution. Our purpose is to support AA groups and help carry the message of recovery to Deaf and hard-of-hearing alcoholics. 

How can I get invloved with AADI?

There are many ways to participate:

• Attend Interpreted AA meetings

• Join service positions (chair, outreach, tech support, etc.)

• Help coordinate accessibility and interpreted meetings

• Share AADI information with others in recovery

Service is a key part of AA recovery, and all support is welcome.

Can hearing allies support AADI?

Yes. Hearing members can support by:

• Helping coordinate interpretation services

• Supporting accessibility efforts

• Respecting ASL-first communication spaces

• Participating in service roles when appropriate

We value cooperation that strengthens accessibility and inclusion.

Why ASL? (An explanation for hearing individuals)

A common misconception about American Sign Language is that it is a simple translation of English. Native Deaf ASL users find it difficult to process written text because it’s actually a whole different language.  

Signed languages have a grammatical and sentence order very different from spoken and written languages and can prove difficult for sign language users to translate effectively.  

Consequently, an ASL user has many of the same challenges with reading and writing in English as others for whom English is a second language.

People who were born Deaf to hearing parents often suffered from language deprivation during their first five years, the critical period of language acquisition.  For these individuals it’s even more challenging to successfully learn to read and write English.