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A Disability Resources Monthly guide provides information about organizations which encourage and support the accessibility of religious organizations and facilities.
Association of Professional Chaplains
The Association of Professional Chaplains is an interfaith professional pastoral care association of providers of pastoral care endorsed by faith groups to serve persons in physical, spiritual, or mental need in diverse settings throughout the world. Contact them at:
1701 Woodfield Road, Suite 311
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Phone: (847) 240-1014
Fax: (847) 240-1015
E-mail: info@professionalchaplains.org
Family Village Worship Center is a large international web site for families. The Center provides religious/faith/spiritual resources for those who have disabilities. Contact them at:
The Family Village
Waisman Center,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705-2280
E-mail: familyvillage@waisman.wisc.edu
New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Ministries
The University Affiliated Program of New Jersey
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
45 Knightsbridge Rd., P.O. Box 6810
Piscataway, NJ 08855-6810
(732) 235-4408
The New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Ministries is an interfaith network, including Christian, Islamic, and Jewish religious groups, service and advocacy organizations, congregations, individuals, lay people, clergy, families, and people with and without disabilities who are all committed to: supporting faith communities in working to fully include all people with disabilities or special needs as valuable members. Some of the ways in which this goal is accomplished by the Coalition is by fostering dialogues, meeting for information exchange, offering workshops and conferences, celebrating people with disabilities who are already active in faith communities, and referring clergy and lay persons to appropriate resources. Membership fees per year-which provide various benefits including newsletters subscription-are $100 for organizations, $25 for congregations and $10 for individuals.
More Than Just Ramps
An inclusive understanding of people with disabilities in the church.
Religion Division
American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR)
c/o the Rev. William Gaventa
31 Alexander St.
Princeton, NJ 08540
(908) 235-4078
The Religion Division of the AAMR is an interfaith, interdisciplinary association of professionals and ordained and lay people who are concerned with people with developmental disabilities and their families. The mission of the division is to share resources which provide for opportunities for spiritual growth for people with disabilities, while respecting their religious identity. The division has a newsletter available for clergy, congregations, and others who are interested in keeping up-to-date with resources and ideas for ministry and supports for people with disabilities.
L'Arche and Faith & Light Communities
for L'Arche:
The Hearth
523 West 8th Street
Erie, Pennsylvania 16502
(814) 452-2065
for Faith and Light:
305 Michigan Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 237-4664
L'Arche was founded in 1964 in France by Jean Vanier and Father Thomas Phillipe, when Vanier welcomed RaphÃel Simi and Phillipe Seux, two men with developmental disabilities, to come and live with him in a life sharing situation based on the Beatitudes of the Bible. With time L'Arche grew into what is now an international federation of intentional faith communities. More recently Faith and Light communities were formed for those not wishing to live in a life sharing situation, but who wished for places of worship to welcome where people with disabilities of all ages and their families and friends would be welcomed.
Faith and Light communities generally meet once a month to share a meal and prayer time. Although L'Arche was founded in the Roman Catholic tradition, today other communities have developed in various cultural and religious traditions including Orthodox Christian, Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, United Church, Jewish, and Hindu, while remaining united in a common vision and spirit of welcoming, sharing, and simplicity. A video on Faith and Light can be ordered from the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives.
Mental Retardation Sabbath/Sunday Project
The Arc - National Headquarters
500 E. Border Street, Suite 300
P. O. Box 1047
Arlington, TX 76004
(817) 261-6003
The Mental Retardation Sabbath/Sunday Project has been an annual project of The Arc since 1979 to help "acquaint the general public with the needs of people with mental retardation and their families living in the community." This is done by having congregations focus some part of their Sabbath/Sunday religious service on ministry to people with disabilities and their families, to name two examples, by inviting a person with a disability or a family member to give a sermon and encouraging people to come forth as support people for those who need support during services.
Faith Communities and the Inclusion of People with Developmental Disabilities
CHRISTIAN
Christian Council for Persons with Disabilities
7120 W. Dove Court, Milwaukee, WI 53223.
JAF Ministries
P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91301.
Helpful Disability Links and Resources.
Catholic
National Apostolate for Inclusion Ministry
Supporting the inclusion of persons with Mental Retardation in the Catholic Church. Contact them at:
P.O. Box 218, Riverdale, Maryland 20738.
E-mail: executivedirector@nafim.org
National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities
This site provides information on creating welcoming and accessible faith communities for Catholics with disabilities. Contact them at:
National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities
McCormick Pavilion
415 Michigan Avenue, N.E. Suite 240
Washington DC 20017-1557
(202) 529-2933 Voice
(202) 529-2934 TTY
(202) 529-4678 Fax
Email us at: ncpd@ncpd.org
National Association of Catholic Chaplains
The National Association of Catholic Chaplains is a worldwide disability advocacy organization, based in Baltimore. Contact them at:
3501 South Lake Drive,
P.O. Box 07473,
Milwaukee, WI 53207
Institute for Pastoral Initiatives
University of Dayton
Dayton, OH 45469-0317
(937) 229-4325
TDD: (513) 229-4356
Formerly the Center for Ministry with People with Disabilities, and now under the umbrella of the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives, this group's mission is to facilitate the acceptance of people with disabilities into church communities at the local, state, and national level. They also work to assist the University of Dayton to prepare its students to be "morally aware and committed" in relation to people with disabilities. Available by calling and asking are an excellent list of videos on faith inclusion for people with disabilities, a list entitled, "More than 50 Ways to Make your Parish Accessible With Little or No Cost Involved," a check list to monitor accessibility of your worship building, and discussion starters for making your place of worship more inclusive.
National Apostolate with People with Mental Retardation
4516 30th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
1-800-736-1280
First established in 1968, NAPMR is now a national organization under the Catholic Church with people with disabilities. It publishes a quarterly journal and a newsletter six times a year. Based on a philosophy of inclusion for all, NAPMR works to ensure that people with disabilities become equal partners in the Christian community and to educate religious leaders to fully appreciate the contribution that can be made to the Church by people with disabilities. It offers various membership levels, which are open to people of all denominations. Also available for free is a booklet they put out entitled, Welcome to God's Word, a guide for parents of children newly diagnosed with developmental disabilities
Lutheran
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Disability Ministries ELCA is one of the most active Christian denominations in this area of ministry.
Methodist
United Methodist Disabilities Concerns - DISabilities Concerns is for persons living with physically or mentally challenging conditions, their friends, families, caretakers, lay associates, and clergy. They offer information related to disability concerns, yet add the dimension of spiritual care. They have material on developmental disabilities, mental illness, creative writing by or related to persons with disabilities, and resources in the area of disability ministry for both individuals and faith communities on our web site and e-mail list. They also have a Disability Concerns electronic bulletin board services and two noteworthy resource lists are: "Access and Inclusion: An Interfaith Resource List," and "Annotated Bibliography on Developmental Disabilities and the Church"
United Methodist Church
Room 330, 475 Riverside Dr.
New York, NY 10115
1-800-UMC-GBGM
TDD: 212-870-3709
National Task Force on Developmental Disabilities
United Methodist Church
503 Vine
Leavenworth, KS 66048
(913) 682-8517
This Task Force was started in 1992 to provide leadership and resources for lay persons and clergy in ministry with people with developmental disabilities. Areas of focus include models of ministry, self advocacy, educating congregations, local church inclusion, and theology of inclusion.
JEWISH
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Commission on Jewish Education
Rapaport House, 155 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10010
Dor L' Dor
This company offers educational Judaic software -- some which suited for those with special needs.
Council of Jews with Special Needs, Inc.
Becca Hornstein, Exec. Director
32 West Coolidge Suite 102
Phoenix, AZ 85013
(602) 277-4243
The Council for Jews with Special Needs is a non-profit human resource agency, composed of concerned individuals working together to ensure that all Jews have the opportunity to fully participate in the richness of Jewish religious, cultural and social life. The Council serves individuals with special needs who are physically, mentally or emotionally handicapped or learning disabled and their families. The Council's efforts shall include both integrated and specialized programming, family support groups, information and referral, community education and effective networking with other Jewish agencies to achieve full accessibility for Jews with disabilities. There is a charge of $36.00 to be placed on their mailing list.
National Jewish Council for the Disabled/Yachad
333 7th Ave
New York, NY 10001
(212) 613-8229
yachad@ou.org
Sponsored by the Orthodox Union, this national council provides social, educational, and recreational programs for Jewish youths and young adults with disabilities within mainstream programs through friendship, "yachad." They also sponsor tours, open to people with and without disabilities, to Florida and to Israel. Tours to Israel include visiting a Kibbitz, Jerusalem, the Western Wall, and other noted Jewish sites of interest.
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