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In 1996, Spirituality was the focus of My City, My Place in it/Brighter Futures Awards event sponsored by the Philadelphia Office of Mental Retardation Services. Participants expressed a desire to form a network to expand opportunities for individuals with disabilities to fully participate in a spiritual life. This group has been meeting regularly, expanding its resources and is called That All May Worship Network of Greater Philadelphia: A Spirituality Resource Center for Persons with disAbilities.
Our current areas of focus are:
Education/Congregational Coaching
Educating congregations, clergy, laity and society about the spiritual needs of people with disAbilities. Creating opportunities for congregations to have individuals trained as coaches to enable the inclusion of people with disAbilities in the life of the community.
Physical Access
Promoting awareness of the need for architectural accessibility to places of worship and providing resources for such access.
Individual/Family Support
Providing support for persons with disAbilities and their families in their efforts toward inclusion in faith communities
Conference Planning
Developing ways to reach the community through regional and city-wide conferences, workshops, and other events.
Publicity and Outreach
Working with various media to bring attention to the issue and to highlight the work of the NETWORK.
The Network has participants from many faith traditions, including:
- Baptists
- Buddhists
- Episcopalians
- Jews
- Lutherans
- Mennonites
- Methodists
- Muslims
- Pentecostal Christians
- Presbyterians
- Quakers
- Roman Catholics
- Seventh Day Adventists
We Welcome All other Faiths
For more information contact:
Chaplain Derek Bowen
Magee Rehabilitation
6 Franklin Plaza
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-587-3345
Jim McIntire
Center for Spirituality and Disability
E-mail: j_mcintire@msn.com
Area Participating Congregations - Find area congregations which are participating in the Accessible Congregations 2000 campaign.
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