Summer Institute on Theology and Disability

mp3's are now up for the 2011 and 2010 Summer Institute of Theology and Disability, including presentations on many topics for faith groups, such as inclusion and accessibility.

Information for 2012 below:

2012 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability
Sponsored by The Boggs Center and the Bethesda Institute
Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL
July 16-20, 2012

The Traveling Wheelchair visits the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help -The Mission Church

The Traveling Wheelchair went to the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Mission Hill, where the services were held for Sen. Kennedy. You'll find a review here.

Kenny writes:

Once arriving at The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Mission Church I was pleased to see there is a beautiful wheelchair accessible ramp located on the side of the stairs leading to the entry door. This historical church was built between 1876 and 1878 and it is nice to a beautiful historical building can be ‘Accessible to All’!! The entry door at the top of the ramp is not automatic so Ric held the door open for me as I drove my Permobil C350 Power Chair inside. The church is absolutely beautiful, quiet and peaceful. Located in the foyer are some brochures which provide a full history of the church. The church was elevated to basilica status in 1956 by Pope Pius XII.

Inside is glorious! The center and side aisles are spacious and wide with plenty of room to wheel your chair. The paintings, altars, shrines and statues are breathtakingly beautiful as well.




Kenny goes on to describe the seating, the votive area, and the altars (the latter have no wheelchair access). Neither do the confessionals. Kenny gave them two stars for access, with some suggestions, but gave

FIVE STARS for its Magnificence, Holiness, Healing and Peace it offers to its visitors.

" FIVE STARS to Senator Edward Kennedy. May your Legacy and Dream Live On! Thank-You and God Bless! "

Please go on over and see the beautiful photos and read the rest of Kenny's review.

Related : Making God More Accessible

Faith communities and disabiity

An article over at pbs.org discusses various faith communities and inclusion of people with disabilities.

Reverend Bill Gaventa of the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities:

In every faith community there is a scriptural basis for welcome and hospitality. But you’ve also got congregations who live in cultures where people with disabilities have been hidden and ostracized and devalued in lots of ways, and too often faith communities sanctify prejudices in the community rather than challenge them. It shouldn’t be easier to get into a bar than a church.


Rabbi Grossman of the Adath Israel Congregation in Lawrenceville, NJ, notes how his synagogue is known as a 'special needs community' when it makes up a small percentage of who attends, but says "I think it defines the synagogue because it simply doesn’t happen elsewhere." He adds that "you got to create the environment where everybody has a place, and if you start with that notion, then everything flows from there."

"Accessibility for the Whole Church Family"

This article talks about ways in which creating accessibility for people with disabilities has evolved. It states:

"Our attitudes finally are beginning to progress from “doing something for the unfortunate person I am grateful that I am not, yet fear I might become” to increasing recognition in our hearts of the rightness of removing whatever physical or attitudinal barrier still impedes full inclusion in the life of the church.

We have begun to grow together toward a gradual recasting of personal or societal attitudes that shut off rather than welcome, to turn from perceiving persons with disabilities as separate from and different. Although we may notice a visible disability first when we meet a person, we are getting better about viewing that characteristic as only one part of an identity. We also notice and validate other unique gifts and talents."

Click above to read the rest of the article.

More than 50 ways to make your parish accessible at little or no cost...

Here's a great list of ways to create accessibility - at little or no cost. There are ideas such as creating a disability section in your parish library, having outside speakers come in, purchasing large print materials - click above to check it out.

Is *my * parish inclusive?

This is the most frequently asked question I get in my mailbox. People with and without disabilities ask me this all of the time. So let me answer it here on the blog (and then I can refer people to this post)!

Yes, my parish, St. Charles Borromeo in Skillman NJ, is inclusive.

I'll tell you why.

-I have opportunities to fully participate as a parishioner in all activities and volunteer opportunities.
-Mutual communication exists about any needs for accommodations for my disability. This extends well beyond obvious issues such as a ramp or parking spaces (although those are important) and is addressed on a personal level in a respectful way.
-Our pastor, Msgr. Malovetz, promotes a welcoming atmosphere with an emphasis on community and inclusion
-The pastoral council and parish staff are individually and, as a group, receptive to suggestions regarding plans for inclusion and willing to discuss ways to implement them
-There is a recognition that inclusion is a two way street .
-Inclusion is treated as a spiritual right in our community, not to be withheld from people who are excluded in society
-Social outreach extends far beyond a mere greeting at Mass on Sunday - our clergy and laity are active in many areas of service work and attend to both spiritual and practical needs of others
-Inclusion is practiced as part of our faith life and the teachings of the Catholic church

When you drive up to our church, there is a sign proclaiming that we are a Catholic community. I get tears in my eyes whenever I see it because I spent years looking for a church community that would be receptive to not only my needs, but allow me to use my gifts and talents.

So the answer is - yes, my parish is inclusive. And yours can be too. If it is, that's wonderful. If it isn't, there are ways to work toward that - together - in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

It's been a wonderful journey, but not always an easy one. That's because inclusion takes work - facing attitudes and obstacles and barriers that perhaps people do not even realize exist.

I am happy to extend any help I can to clergy, laity or people with disabilities, their parents, friends or family to make that journey toward inclusion a positive and faith filled one.

[This is a repost in response to questions I receive in email. ]

What is Access versus Inclusion?

Access to our churches is about overcoming structural and communication barriers. It allows a person with a disability to physically "get to Mass" . It may mean installing a ramp, having materials available in Braille, or arranging for an interpreter for deaf parishioners. It may be something as simple as a different seating arrangement, so a parishioner in a wheelchair can sit near familiy or friends.

Inclusion, on the other hand, is about making each person feel like a valued member of the community. At its core is the teaching that each person is created in the image of God and has gifts and talents to offer to a congregation. Being sensitive and acting in a way not to exclude those who are different , even if it's not intended, can take time, education and awareness.

The reality is that physical access is much easier to achieve than inclusion, simply because it can be planned out step by step. A parish can set aside funds and time to build a ramp or make a bathroom accessible. When the renovation is finished, physical access has been achieved.

But inclusion is not as tangible and therefore more difficult to achieve. It is important to stress, as a Catholic with a disability, that it is a two way street. People with disabilities who have gifts and talents to offer need to participate in their parishes and "show up". This may feel intimidating to some, but change will only come about through those who do so. Parishioners who are disabled need to be willing to invest their time and energy as volunteers for their parish - just like anyone else.

Other parishioners can help by keeping an open mind about including a parishioner with a disability as a volunteer or committee member. People may be used to thinking of folks with disabilities as helpless or unable to contribute - at least until they work with and have a positive experience with a blind parishioner, for example, who sings in the choir or acts as lector. Not only will parishioners realize that the blind parishioner is just as capable at these tasks as sighted people, but such interaction will reveal more common grounds than differences.

Why is inclusion so important to our Church? Because it affects not only parishioners who are in our parishes, but those who do not come because they are afraid they won't be welcomed. As technology and equipment has improved, people with disabilities who used to be marginalized in society no longer need to be.

Those of us with disabilities who can participate need to do so, to pave the way for others, including the next generation.

We Catholics believe in the sanctity and dignity of every human life and , by practicing inclusion of people with disabilities, we can turn our parish communities into living examples of our beliefs.


*{I am reposting this due to the number of questions I've received. This post is from August 2006}

Barriers to Worship

from the Washington Post, an article about the barriers that remain for PWD.

According to the article:

"According to a 2004 Harris poll, 84 percent of people with and without disabilities describe religion as "very important" or "important" to them. But less than half of people with disabilities attend religious services at least once a month, compared with 57 percent of people without disabilities."

The article indicates that there is very little dialogue between churches and PWD and that religious institutions, in many cases, do not know how to repond to the situation.

It also discusses efforts being made at various churches toward inclusion and emphasizes that changes can be low-cost.

Thanks to William Gaventa for posting this on the list serv.

The Church of Our Saviour - letting people know about a church's accessibility as a road to inclusion

This is a great example of a church letting people with disabilities know that their facilities are accessible and that they are welcoming and inclusive.

Check out this web page at the Church of Our Saviour in Secaucus NJ which outlines specifically which accommodations they have made. It's a reader-friendly style which spells out exactly what to expect architecturally AND is welcoming and directed at the person with a disability.

Too many times I find that churches spend time and money to build accessible ramps and bathrooms, but then do not realize that people with disabilities need to know about them (unless they already attend that church, how would they know?) This is also true if your parish can offer braille materials or services in sign language.

If your church has accessible facilities, consider placing a page like this on your web site so that people with disabilities will know they are welcome - and they can get inside!