The focus of last week’s meeting was building your congregation’s Inclusion Committee. The meeting featured two outstanding speakers and a brief presentation about what IDN has learned over 10+ years of supporting congregations on their journey’s toward full-inclusion of people with disabilities and their families.

The meeting was kicked off by a presentation from Dennis Kelly. Dennis work’s for Catholic Construction and Chairs the Inclusion Committee at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Lilburn, GA. Below check out some photos from their amazing renovation:

The renovation started with a commitment from the priest-in-charge to build the most accessible facility they could dream. People with a diversity of abilities and disabilities were consulted all along the process. There were a number of places where the church exceeded the ADA code or where the took the experiences of end-users with disabilities as the guide.

The result was a wonderfully accessible facility!

The priest-in-charge then brought together an inclusion committee. The charge to the committee was to use the parish’s accessibility as a platform to think about full-inclusion in the life of the parish

During the next part of the meeting Mark Crenshaw briefly presented a PowerPoint that featured what IDN has learned about supporting congregations on their journey’s toward full-inclusion:

Practical Steps to a More Inclusive Congregation (1)

Mark then promised that he would share links to surveys of accessibility and inclusion that members could use with their congregations:

Accessibility Assessment from Accessible Faith Progeam

Accessibility Assessment Used By IDN

Accessibility Assessment from The Unitarian Universalist Association 2010

Parish Accessibility Survey from Disabilities Ministry, Archdiocese of Atlanta

The meeting was hosted by Reverend Gerald Durley and the Community at Providence Missionary Baptist Church.

The meeting ended with Dr. Durley telling his own story of beinf labeled with a disability and therefore being put into a “box.” He then spoke about his church’s call to be accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities.

He ended by calling attendees to build the next civil rights movement to build a more just world for people with disabilities and their families!

IDN is grateful to Dr. Durley and Providence Missionary Baptist Church, to Dennis Kelly and St. Joh Neumann Catholic Church and to all of the advocates and self advocates who are building this movement together!

The Summer edition of Making A Difference Magazine from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities features five articles about the power congregations have to be places of inclusion and opportunity for people with disabilities and their families.

Making A Difference Magazine Summer 2009

Thank you to Reverend Bill Gaventa, Ginny Thornburgh, Imam Furqan Muhammad, Pastor Devin Strong, Rabbi Harvey Winokur, Reverend Denny and Varion Spear, Pat Nobbie and many others for their work in lifting the profile of this important issue.

Thank you to The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities for shining a light on religious leaders and congregations who actively engaging people with disabilities in worship, study, service and leadershi.

Check out the most recent episode of PBS’ Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. The episode features Reverend Bill Gaventa and people with disabilities and their families from Christian, Jewish and Muslim congregations

Episode #3 of the Interfaith Disability Connection Podcast features Mrs. Betty Hasan-Amin and Reverend Alan Roof. Mrs. Hasan-Amin is the Founder of You-Ni-Verse Greeting Cards and a member at Masjid Al-Muâ??Minun. Reverend Roof serves as a Chaplain at Shepherd Center. Alan is an Ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ.

Betty and Alan are two individuals who helped plan and deliver the 2008 That All May Worship: Beyond The Ramp Conference. They discuss the impact that attending the 2008 event has had on them and help us preview what is most exciting to them as the prepare to participate in the 2009 Interfaith Disability Connection Summit on Sunday, August 9, 2009.

They also discuss why the think YOU Should plan to attend!

You can listen to the podcast by clicking the play button below:

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I am a frequent reader of “Or Am I?” a blog by Rabbi Paul Kipnes. Rabbi Kipnes. Rabbi Kipnes in the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas, CA. I have read many posts about the congregation’s commitment to welcome people with disabilities and their families. This post was a opportunity for me to read more about Rabbi Kipnes and the congregation’s commitment to the full-inclusion of people with disabilities in the Jewish community there.

The congregation’s web site includes a number of wonderful resources for understanding the foundation of the congregation’s commitment to people with disabilities and their families.

Congratulations to Rabbi Kipnes and the Congregation Or Ami Family on their much deserved EP Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award.

I am inspired by the congregation’s efforts and I hope you are too.

Do you know about a congregation or a leader that is doing wonderful things like this?

This year’s Atlanta Magazine’s High School Essay Contest asked students to respond to the question: What is the most pressing civil/human rights issue of your generation? Harrison Saylor, a junior at Flowery Branch High School answered the question with his essay titled: People First: Rethinking how we think of people with disabilities.

I am grateful for Harrison’s contribution and his involvement in the lives of people with disabilities at his high school. I am thankful for the people at Atlanta Magazine for shining a light on this important issue.

The second episode of the Interfaith Disability Connection podcast features an interview by Mark Crenshaw of Reverend Bill Gaventa; keynote speaker of the upcoming 2009 IDC Summit. The conversation provides a preview of the 2009 IDC Summit and it gives listeners a glimpse of Reverend Gaventa’s passion for the full-inclusion of people with disabilities in congregational life.

Reverend Gaventa serves as the Coordinator of Community and Congregational Supports at the Boggs Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Click the play button on the player below to listen to the podcast.

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This article was recently sent to me from an Interfaith Disability Connection volunteer. The article discusses the challenges faced by older adults when they seek to attend their congregations of choice.

I am very interested to read the article. The idea of building coalitions between people with disabilities and people who are aging in congregations has long been a fascinating area for exploration and action for me. The concerns that members of these groups have are similar and the opportunities for action and reflection on inclusion of seniors and people with disabilities can lead to interesting discoveries, in my experience.

Are people who are aging out of participation in your congregations on your radar screen? Have you undertaken projects or discussions in your congregation to consider the needs of the population and the gifts your community risks losing if they are not invited, accommodated, and included?

Interfaith Disability Connection Podcast Episode #1:

In this first podcast of the Interfaith Disability Connection Director Mark Crenshaw interviews Ginny Thornburgh, Director of the Interfaith Initiative at the American Association of People with Disabilities in Washington, DC, Thornburgh will serve as an event facilitator at the 2nd annual IDC Summit this Sunday, August 9, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. Click the play button on the player below to listen to the podcast.

Click below to download the podcast to your computer:

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