Resources
Below you’ll find links to sites and documents we hope you’ll find helpful!
Accessibility Checklist
Considerations to help you assess resources and programs you are considering using in your parish.
For instance: catechetical and faith formation materials, parish development, worship aides, environmental assessment, etc. It can also help you assess the inclusiveness of your liturgies and general parish dynamics. Some items may be more appropriate for assessing a resource or program, while others may be more appropriate for reflecting on liturgies or your parish community in general.
LAWS THAT PROTECT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:
Each fact sheet includes one or two scenarios that illustrate how understanding disability legislation enables people with disabilities to advocate for change. An additional fact sheet offers information on how to build a support network.
Cerebral Palsy Group is an online resource for anyone who has been affected by cerebral palsy, birth injuries, or brain injuries. Our team was created so we can provide answers and all types of assistance needed to help improve the quality of life for loved ones and family members with cerebral palsy.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities
KU Audio-Reader – Radio for the blind and print-disabled
The mission of Hear2Help is to provide financial assistance and grow awareness so children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing have the opportunities to hear similar to their hearing peers. The hope is that by giving them a strong foundation they will reach their full potential in life. Hear2Help announces that they are opening up an assistance program area to include the Kansas City metro as well as all of Kansas. If you know of a child who needs and may benefit from hearing aids, please contact.
Parish Advocates for People with Special Needs
Parish Advocates for People with Special Needs serve as a liaison between people with special needs and the parish, and between the parish and the Archdiocesan Office for Special Needs Ministry. The parish advocate maybe an individual or the chairperson of a parish special needs committee.
The goal of the parish advocacy program is for parishioners with special needs to fully participate in the life of their church community. The parish advocate assists the parish in meeting the spiritual, social and faith formation needs of its members with special needs. The advocate acts on behalf of parishioners with special needs to ensure that all are invited to share in the life of the parish, serving as the channel through which parishioners with special needs and other members of the parish discover each other.
Top three responsibilities of a Parish Advocate
- Be a visible and approachable presence in the parish
- Listen
- Be aware of current resources
—Adapted for the Office of Special Needs Ministry for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas from “Administering A Parent Advocacy Program” in Opening Doors. The National Catholic Partnership on Disability, Washington D.C., 1990.