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:

Download this episode (right click and save)

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:

Download this episode (right click and save)

The National Cathedral in Washington, DC is hosting a National Prayer Service on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 9:30 AM. Information about the service can be found here.

You can download a copy of the order of service here.

There will be a live webcast of the service here.

Leaders from Christian(Catholic, Orthodox & Protestant), Hindu, Islamic, and Jewish communities are set to participate.

The Reverend Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ in the United States and Canada) is scheduled to deliver the sermon.

The program lists the names of the people who are scheduled to provide sign language interpretation!

The Georgia Aquarium is hosting it’s 1st Abilities celebration. The event will take place February 4-7, 2009. The Abilities Celebration will feature a variety of performers with disabilities, as well as meet & greet sessions with notable individuals with disabilities.

It is wonderful that the aquarium is offering this opportunity. You can get additional information here.

Jewish Family & Career Services will host The Larry Bregman Educational Conference on February 28th & March 1st, 2009. The keynote speaker for the event is Reverend Al Mead and if you heard Al at the 2008 Interfaith Disability Connection Conference you know he will be GREAT!

I have volunteered at the Bregman Conference in the past and it is a wonderful conference. The conference offers a track for self-advocates (people with disabilities) and a track for family members. Both tracks offer education and fun to participants. The workshop lineup looks great!

You can download the Registration form for 2009 Larry Bregman Conference and you can view the website for the conference here.

Here is a link to the information about the events sponsored by the Duke University Center for Reconciliation.  The events take place in Durham, NC November 8-10, 2008.

Jean Vanier is the Founder of L’Arche and Stanley Hauerwas is one of the leading American voices in the explanation of a Christian Theology of Disability.

These events should be enlightening, hope-filled, and challenging.

Update: Here is a great article written prior to the event

Here is a link to the audio of the presentations during the event.

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter recently became a congregational member of the Interfaith Disability Connection. We are grateful for their commitment to building congregations where acceptance, inclusion and belonging are at the heart of what it means to be community. If you are not familiar with the story of Holy Comforter you can read about it here.

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter operates the Friendship Center, Which is a day program for people with mental Illness and other disabilities.

The Work of Our Hands hosts an artist Market. The funds raised by the Artist Market are used to support the work of the Friendship Center and Emmaus House 

Please consider visiting the artist maket to support this vital work and whole you’re at it, pick up some wonderful gifts for the holidays.

Work of Our Hands Artist Market 2008

Praying with Lior contiues toeducate an inspore it audiences to work for the full-inclusion of people with disabilities in the full life of faith.

I posted previously about the movie here and here. I saw the film during its screening at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival in January of this year. I was moved by the content of the film and deeply impressed by the filmmaker Ilana Trachtman and Lior’s father, Rabbi Mordecai Leibling.

The film is currently showing in venues across the United States and in israel too.

Ilana Trachtman has started a blog about the impact the film is having in communities.  Please go and read it and if you have an opportunity go and see the film.

I am sorry I am a month behind in posting this to the blog, but it is good news for United Methodism. Reverend Peggy Johnson began her work as Bishop of the Philadelphia Area of the United Methodist Church on September 1st. Bishop Johnson is a self- advocate and advocate for people with disabilities.

I just read this interview of Bishop Johnson and am really impressed that she is talking about advocacy that needs to be undertaken with both people with disabilities and their temporairily- able-bodied peers.

I think Bishop Johnson highlights the work that lies ahead if we are to create communities where all people are welcomed to worship, study, serve and provide leadership. I hope that we can continue to build communities where this happens with the leadership of advocates like Bishop Johnson and people like her.

I am grateful for Bishop Johnson and I pray G-d bless her life, work and ministry in the wider church and world.