Community Connections: February 2005 WCSN

Welcoming Spiritual Communities Newsletter
February 2005

In this Issue: Accessibility as a Ministry

Sometimes people cannot participate in a faith community because of disabilities caused by conditions present at birth, illness, age, or accidents. One in five families faces the challenge of disability. Spiritual communities that welcome everyone attract new members and allow long-time members to remain active as they age or when they are coping with the effects of an accident or illness. Many times, there are easy, inexpensive ways to welcome individuals with disabilities in your congregation and create the sense of belonging that is so essential to religious communities.

Through the quarterly Welcoming Spiritual Communities Newsletter, you have easy access to information about how to make your congregation more welcoming, which includes access to information, ideas, and resources that can help you open doors to persons with disabilities and their families. You can also publicize information about your community on our web site. Furthermore, we can work with you or your committee regarding ways to make your religious community more welcoming. We thank you for your leadership on behalf of people with disabilities and look forward to hearing from you.

	Articles:
	What Accessibility Taught Me about Successful Ministry A pastor shares his insight on the benefit of congregations being accessible and welcoming to all people.
	It's More Than Just A Ramp... If a church has a ramp it is considered accessible. This article stresses the importance of thinking beyond the ramp as churches strive to become more accessible, to changing attitudes towards persons with disabilities.
	Tip Sheet:
	Check List for Spiritual Leaders: Easy Accommodations for People With Disabilities This tip sheet will prepare your congregation with easy ways to successfully include people with disabilities. Tips include: providing large print materials, promoting disability awareness through sermons and including people with disabilities in liturgy and other church activities.
	Spotlight:
	Check Out This Innovative Intergenerational Program: Family Friends Easter Seals Family Friends is an intergenerational program which matches volunteers who are 55 years and older with children with disabilities and/or special needs. Your church community can become involved with this!
	Recommended Websites
	National Organization on Disability http://www.nod.org
	Massachusetts Council of Churches http://www.masscouncilofchurches.org/docs/accessibility.htm

Articles

What Accessibility Taught Me About Successful Ministry
by Don Montagna, Pastor
Washington Ethical Society

Although everyone believes in being accessible to people with disabilities, good intentions are not enough to make it a reality.

There are just too many good causes that deserve attention. Even when long time members become disabled, stop attending, and everyone feels "isn't it a shame," nothing changes. A congregation becomes accessible only when the pastor takes a stand by showing how accessibility is an essential expression of the congregation's spiritual message and mission.

When a congregation promotes greater accessible to people with disabilities, all members hear that everyone counts, including themselves. Accessibility tells each person that no matter what happens the congregation provides caring support.

To be accessible to people with disabilities, members learn how to see the person and not just the disability and how to personally relate to people using appropriate accommodations. Once members learn this greater sensitivity, they are more open hearted to all members, and the whole congregation becomes a more loving place.

People with disabilities also have abilities. They find ways to make a contribution for the greater good of the congregation.

It's more than just a ramp...
by Amy Griffin

People with disabilities need a spiritual home. Often times though, they are unable to find one. Not because there isn't a building without a ramp, or because there aren't sign language interpreters for the deaf, but simply because people have not opened their hearts. Whether or not you are a welcoming community begins way before these obvious signs. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Are you comfortable enough to include someone who is different?
2. Are you humble enough to ask questions about things that you may not understand about people with disabilities?
3. Are you willing to learn about ways to modify simple things to make them accessible to someone who may need assistance?

If your answer to these three questions is yes, you have already met ninety percent of the criteria to make your spiritual community a welcoming home to a person with a disability. So, don't think about the things that you can't do right now, or the things that may cost too much money to implement at this time. Think about the simple things like moving a Sunday School class to a room on the first level so that a person in a wheelchair can participate. Consider a bible study curriculum that has visual aids so that a person with a cognitive disability can really contribute to the lesson. Open your mind to the possibilities that can be endless, and you may be surprised at how many people you already can accommodate! It really is more than just a ramp!

Tipsheet

Check List for Spiritual Leaders: Easy Accommodations for People With Disabilities
This tip sheet will prepare your congregation with easy ways to successfully include people with disabilities. Tips include: providing large print materials, promoting disability awareness through sermons and including people with disabilities in liturgy and other church activities. Download a checklist for your use (PDF).

Spotlight

Family Friends Intergenerational Program

Children with disabilities and their families may sometimes feel stressed, isolated and unsupported. Easter Seals Family Friends program pairs adult volunteers of 55 years or older with families who have a child with a disability. Would you like to share your wisdom and experience with a child and family, give parents a break for a few hours a week, share affection with a child with special needs? If so, this program would be perfect for you because fosters caring and safe relationships between the adult and the child. In addition, this is great community outreach.

Congregations are urged to advertise the Family Friends program in your church bulletin or announcements. You can use the above description with contact information as follows: Carolyn Bull, Family Friends Director, 301-931-8925 ext. 115.

Recommended Websites

http://www.nod.org
This website contains resources for congregations and families on how to make Spiritual Communities more welcoming to people with disabilities.

http://masscouncilofchurches.org/docs/accessibility.htm
This website contains an article entitled "The Accessible Church: Toward Becoming the Whole Family of God." This article discusses the biblical grounding for including everyone. In addition, barriers to participation are honestly reviewed. Finally, first steps on how to become more accessible are listed to help congregations get started.

We currently offer training and technical consultation to businesses, churches, and other community organizations to help make them more welcoming to families and children with special needs. If you know of a business or other organization that would like to take advantage of these services, please e-mail us at: communityconnections@umd.edu
OR
If you know of a business that is already welcoming to children with special needs and their families and you would like to share this information with other families and professionals, please send us your name as well as the name and contact information for the business with a brief description of why you believe they are welcoming to families. If appropriate, we will post the business on our website and we may even feature it as a 'Spotlight if the Month'. E-mail your submissions to: communityconnections@umd.edu

*Questions or Suggestions about our newsletter? Have an idea you would like to submit? Please feel free to contact us at communityconnections@umd.edu

Thanks for subscribing to the Welcoming Communities newsletter! Welcoming Communities is put out by Community Connections, which is a grant at the University of Maryland at College Park funded by the United States Department of Education. The goal of this project is to facilitate the participation of young children with special needs in community settings. We do this by increasing opportunities for kids with disabilities to participate in the community, promoting awareness of disabilities, and providing support to parents and organizations that include children with special needs.

For more information about Community Connections, please visit our website at: http://www.communityconnections.umd.edu/
Our website is updated regularly…Check back often for new info!

The Community Connections Team

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