Disability Ministry Resources

Resources

Autism & Alleluias — Kathy Bolduc uses slice-of-life vignettes to show God's grace as Joel—an intellectually challenged young adult with autism—teaches those who love him that life requires: childlike faith, humility, trust, compassion, forgiveness and openness to all of God's gifts.

“A Place Called Acceptance” — author/presenter Kathy Bolduc’s webinar with Bill Gaventa, director of Community and Congregational Supports at the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, and Ginny Thornburgh, program director, Interfaith Initiative, American Association of People with Disabilities

Ministries with Families of Children with Disabilities — One of National Minsitries’ series of Workshops for Church Life and Leadership, this workshop–used in conjunction with the handbook A Place Called Acceptance: Ministry with Families of Children with Disabilities (www.kathleenbolduc.com, $7.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling)–raises participants’ awareness of the impact of disability on the family system and provides practical suggestions for welcoming children with disabilities, and their families, into the life of the church. Workshop leaders will need to have a copy of A Place Called Acceptance on hand and may want to order copies for participants to purchase (this is optional).

A variety of groups with a commitment to finding ways to become more inclusive of those living with disabilities will benefit from this workshop, including, for example, Sunday school teachers, deacons, Stephen Ministers, disability task forces, adult Sunday school classes, church committees, church clusters, and regions.

The Children’s Corner (Fall /Winter 2008) — This issue, “Children with Special Needs,” includes articles about helping children accept and embrace children with disabilities, addressing the spirituality of special-needs children, and ways in which churches can help families with special-needs children, and

“Children with Disabilities and Poverty: Breaking Free of Limiting Conditions” by Bill Gaventa in The Christian Citizen (“Children in Poverty: Local Churches Respond”; Volume 2, 2008).

“Etiquette and Awareness with Children with Disabilities” 2010 Planning Guide

Videos

Believing, Belonging, Becoming 11-minute video with four vignettes of inclusive congregations, two stories involving children and two stories involving adults. This resource was originally produced by the Wisconsin Developmental Disabilities Council. Excellent for congregational awareness and discussion. Purchase for $10; make checks payable to “The Boggs Center”; send to Bill Gaventa, The Boggs Center, P.O. Box 2688, New Brunswick, NJ 08903.

A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities 60-minute documentary with interfaith stories

Links

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). The country‘s largest cross-disability membership organization, AAPD organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change–politically, economically, and socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their families, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Justice for All (e-mail newsletter). This newsletter is a free service of AAPD that typically comes out twice a week to share disability news (legislation and policy, popular culture, etc.) and issue calls to action to advocates across the .

Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC). IDAC‘s mission is to support people with disabilities and their families as they seek spiritual and religious access, and to bring the prophetic voice of the faith community to the disability agenda.

Dimensions of Faith and Congregational Ministries with People with Disabilities and Their Families: A Bibliography and Address Listing of Resources For Clergy, Laypersons, Families, and Service Providers (2009 edition, 230 pages, online only) Comprehensive listing of resources organized by areas of congregational ministry, e.g, worship, theology, outreach, pastoral care, religious education and many more.

Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities: A Guide for Providers, Families, and Congregations (Book by Erik Carter, published by Paul Brookes Publishing) Authored by professor of special education; filled with practical strategies for inclusive ministries and faith supports.

Autism and Faith: The Journey into Community (Edited. by Mary Beth Walsh, Alice Walsh, and Bill Gaventa) 52-page. interfaith booklet about autism; includes strategies for pastoral and congregational support, stories by families, and more.

Meaning, Mystery, and Community: Communion and Persons with Disabilities (Edited by Roger Peters, Anna Kate Shurley and Bill Gaventa.) Double issue of Journal of Religion, Disability, and Health. Great collection of stories and theological reflections that provides wonderful resources for preaching and discussion. Copies available for $20; make checks payable to “The Boggs Center”; send to Bill Gaventa at The Boggs Center, P.O. Box 2688, New Brunswick, NJ 08903.

interviews, and examples. Shown on ABC-TV December 2009.