Catholics with disabilities in parish life/worship

[Peggy99]

Co founder of Catholics With Disabilities (CWD) I am wonder how many feel their parish is barrier free? Or have persons with disabilities on councils/committees, etc? I have myself found that my own parish would provide busing to various special events but never response to requests for accessible busing for PWD’s. Or lack assistive listening systems for the hearing impaired. Does YOUR Diocese have anyone working WITH persons with disabilities to effect change? Thanks for your responses!

 

[SoCalRC]

I would have to say that inclussion for the developmentally disabled is still not where, as Christians, we would like it to be in Los Angeles. One big problem is that Catholic School just isn’t an option. The schools simply cannot accomodate the students.

Starting in the 1970s, a Brentwood Parish started a wonderful program, but that does not really translate into integration and inclussion at the participants’ home parishes.

I don’t mean for it to sound all negative. Our son was baptized and took first communion at our home parish. He is recognized on sight by all the ‘regulars’ and is always welcomed and supported. And he was unfortunate in that he was born in a far less tolerant and understanding time, when our home based and community based care approach was against the conventional wisdom. But I would have to say that, by and large, most parishes are not particularly welcoming or supportive for some of the weakest among us.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Co founder of Catholics With Disabilities (CWD) I am wonder how many feel their parish is barrier free? Or have persons with disabilities on councils/committees, etc? I have myself found that my own parish would provide busing to various special events but never response to requests for accessible busing for PWD’s. Or lack assistive listening systems for the hearing impaired. Does YOUR Diocese have anyone working WITH persons with disabilities to effect change? Thanks for your responses!

Our parish – with Mass attendence varying between 100 and 150 (more in tourist season) has three members in wheel chairs and three members in Assisted Living. We have total accessability, and encourage parishoners with disabilities to fully participate – as ushers, catechistss, members of the Ministerial Council and so on.

 

[Peggy99]

Wonderful to read these! I am wondering if anyone in your parishes is doing any active out reach to area rehab sites/nursing homes/private homes where PWD’s may live? Given the length of time since the passage of the ADA and the resulting numbers of PWD s in higher education/employment it just seems to me that we lost some folks along the way. In my own cathedral we had stairs leading to the altar, rest rooms with no power door openers and an ambo that did not facilitate wheerlchair mobilizers as lectors/commentators. Nor did we have Braille text bulletins/etc. And despite the fact that the Bishop was the normal Sunday celebrant he did not have an ASL interpreter unless it was a Holy Day or etc. That cathedral burnt down and our Bishop seems committed to having a new cathedral that will be totally open for all. But I am advocating he name an Advisory Board of PWD’s to work with the builder/architect BEFORE work begins. All too many barriers are not identified. Another would be to have family rest rooms with differently colored tiles to improve visual clues for those with low eye sight. I was named to several secular boards and was must floored at the suggestions by other PWD’s. And …where are they all on Sunday?? Peggy

 

[rlg94086]

I haven’t seen a concerted effort to accomodate people with disabilities, but we have several elderly parishioners in wheelchairs. They sit up front and the pastor or EMHC brings them the Eucharist before offering everyone else.

Also, our only consistent usher at our 11:30AM Mass is mentally impaired. He is there every week and has to corral others to help him (I’m not sure why the other scheduled ushers regularly don’t show). Other than being a little over zealous with the doors (he closes the middle doors as people are leaving and shaking hands with the priest ), he is great. I always help him when I can.

The parish we used to attend in Oregon has a sign language interpreter. I think they are used when it is known that a hearing impaired parishioner has a need.

 

[Tonks40]

Our parish in the San Diego diocese was one of the first to offer Mass for the hearing-impaired. Every week at our 10am Mass, we have a group of people who provide ASL (American Sign Language), along with a deacon who is hearing-impaired and assists in the proclamation of the Gospel.

We also have a ministry called Faith and Light that provides spiritual and social services for those who are developmentally disabled. But it’s not just the disability that our ministries address - rather it’s the abilities these people are able to provide to the parish and the Church. We have several members of this community that serve not only as ushers and readers, but also as EMHCs and altar servers.

Parish life should involve all members of the parish, no matter what their limitations are. If you are interested in finding out more about these programs, please feel free to PM me!

God Bless!