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The Inclusion Awareness Day Workbook 2003
Celebrating the Contributions Persons with Disabilities Make to
Our Faith Communities
Letter from Pathways
Awareness Foundation
Dear Religious Leader:
Since 1996 Pathways Awareness Foundation has been working to assist
congregations to welcome persons with disabilities through the Open Hearts, Open
Minds, Open Doors program. An integral part of this inclusion movement is the
annual celebration of Inclusion Awareness Day.
This year many congregations, including parishes in the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Chicago, will be observing Inclusion Awareness Day on
September 28, 2003. Parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago have set
aside October as Inclusion Awareness Month. We warmly welcome their
participation.
Our theme this year is celebrating the contributions persons with
disabilities make to our faith communities. While reflecting on these
contributions we can examine our progress toward making full participation
possible and renew our commitment to becoming fully accessible faith
communities. When we provide accommodations so that all people can participate
we enrich and strengthen our faith communities.
We invite congregations of all denominations to observe Inclusion
Awareness Day and to raise awareness to the importance of including persons
with disabilities every day of the year.
Sincerely,
Shirley Ryan Maggie Daley
Chairman President
Letter from Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Chicago
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On Sunday, September 28, 2003, parishes in our archdiocese will again observe
Inclusion Awareness Day. This day is set aside to promote thought, dialogue and
action to enhance the participation of parishioners with disabilities in all
aspects of parish life.
Inclusion Awareness Day reminds us that persons with disabilities have gifts
and talents to contribute to our faith communities if we take steps to remove
barriers to their participation.
Many parishes already make it possible for everyone to participate in worship
and ministries. Others are just beginning to reach out to affirm and include
parishioners with disabilities. I ask that you continue in your efforts to make
ours a more participatory church.
Please join me in celebrating this important event. Open your hearts, your
minds and your doors so that all may worship, not only on Inclusion Awareness
Day, but every day of the year.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I.
Archbishop of Chicago
Letter from Bishop William D. Persell, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
In our common mission to change lives by reaching people with the love
of God and through engaging each other in working for social justice, peace and
abundant life, the awareness and inclusion of persons with disabilities is an
important aspect of our life and work . October marks Disability Awareness
month and Mental Health awareness month. It also contains the feast of
Samuel Isaac Schereschewsky (October 14). Schereschewsky is noted for
translating over 2000 pages of the Bible into Chinese dialects despite massive
paralysis.
Our own diocesan Inclusion Task Force, in conjunction with an
ecumenical group of committed lay and ordained people has provided for you
materials to use to commemorate Disability Awareness month. In the past,
parishes have received my permission to transfer the feast of Schereschewsky in
order to highlight the ways people with disabilities contribute vitally to the
life of the church.
I encourage your review and use of these materials and enthusiastically
support the work of the Task Force. We all benefit when we reach out to
one another. The work of the Task Force and your work in highlighting
Disability Awareness month will bring the gospel to people previously
excluded.
Faithfully yours,
William D. Persell
Bishop of Chicago
Inclusion Awareness Day
Activities
Congregations can welcome people with disabilities in three areas:
affirmation, communication and accessibility. Listed below are ideas for your
Inclusion Awareness event. Browse the workbook for materials to help or develop
ideas of your own. Reproduce materials as they are or adapt to suit your
needs.
Affirmation
Celebrate the contributions of persons with disabilities to your faith
community with a special worship service on Sunday, September 28, 2003, or a
date convenient for your congregation.
Invite persons with disabilities from your congregation to speak during
the worship service about the importance of membership in your faith
community.
Show the Pathways Awareness Foundation Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
video to your youth group, adult education group or after worship services.
Use the discussion guide in this workbook after viewing the
video.
Communication
Obtain a letter from your religious leader about the importance of
inclusion in worship. Place copies in the pews, read from the pulpit or
publish in your bulletin on Inclusion Awareness Day.
Place information in your bulletin about welcoming persons with
disabilities on Inclusion Awareness Day and throughout the year. Use the
bulletin materials provided in this workbook
Send a family discussion guide home for parents and children to discuss
ways to be more inclusive. A family guide is available in the free lesson
plans Different Gifts, But the Same Spirit. Call
1-800-955-2445.
Accessibility
Do a walk-through of your facilities before Inclusion Awareness Day. Note
inaccessible areas and announce plans to remove those barriers at your
congregation’s Inclusion Awareness Day celebration. Use the access checklist
in this workbook.
Commemorating the Lives of People of Faith with
Disabilities
Disability has touched the lives of many outstanding people of faith.
Reflecting on their lives and contributions makes us aware of the power of
vulnerability and the need for accommodations so that all can share their gifts.
Use these stories in sermons, religious education classes or
bulletins.
Moses
Moses was one of the greatest prophets and leaders in salvation history.
Scripture scholars believe that he had a disability affecting his speech (Exodus
4:10-17). His speech impediment caused Moses to question the leadership role God
expected of him. God responded by providing an accommodation. Moses’ brother,
Aaron, accompanied him and spoke the words that God instructed Moses to use.
This accommodation empowered Moses to liberate his people from slavery and lead
them to the Promised Land.
St. Ignatius of Loyola
St. Ignatius of Loyola, with seven other graduate students studying at the
University of Paris, founded the largest Roman Catholic order, the Jesuits, in
the 16th century. Ignatius’ spiritual journey began as the result of
disability. As a wealthy young nobleman, Ignatius led a far from exemplary life.
While serving in the Spanish army Ignatius’ leg was permanently injured when a
canon ball hit him. While recovering from his wound, Ignatius examined his own
life after reading the Lives of the Saints. During his convalescence he realized
that pursuing spiritual goals brought him an inner peace like no other pursuits.
After this conversion experience, Ignatius devoted his life to religious study,
prayer and writing the Spiritual Exercises. His feast day is July
31st.
St. Samuel Schereschewsky
The Episcopal Church calendar is rich in the stories of people whose lives
are cause for celebration and commemoration. Two feast days remember lives of
people who lived with disabilities. October 14 is the Feast of Samuel Isaac
Schereschewsky, a bishop of Shanghai who, in the late 19th century
translated scripture into the Wenli dialect after he developed paralysis from a
muscle disease (Lesser Feasts and Fasts, pg. 394-395). During October, parishes
have transferred the feast to a Sunday to commemorate Inclusion Awareness and
the service of Schereschewsky. In August, we commemorate the lives of Thomas
Gallaudet and Henry Winter Syle, leaders in providing education and worship for
the deaf community. (Lesser Feasts and Fasts, pg. 342-343). Rev. Deborah Seles, Chair, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago Inclusion
Task Force, Director, L’Arche Chicago
Mary Virginia Merrick
In the late 1800’s, Mary Virginia Merrick founded the Christ Child Society to
care for infants in the poorest neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. Although a
childhood fall injured her spine and she was unable to sit upright for most of
her life, Mary directed a network of Christ Child Centers through the support of
local Catholic parishes. Fueled by Mary’s deep spirituality and social activism,
chapters of the Christ Child Society sprang up across the US. Today 38 chapters
in 16 states provide food, clothing and medical assistance to infants and
children in low-income areas. The process of beatification and canonization in
the Roman Catholic Church began for Mary Virginia Merrick in April of
2003.
The Bulletin: A Channel for Disability Awareness
Your faith community’s bulletin or website is an excellent means of raising
awareness concerning people with disabilities. Check with office administrators
about the procedure for submitting items. Adapt the items below or use the
camera-ready bulletin insert called "Inclusion Awareness Day: Making Everyone
Welcome."
Inclusion Awareness Day reminds us to open our hearts to others and to
recognize the gifts of every person. When we affirm one another’s gifts and
talents, we enrich our faith communities. As a community of believers, we can
reach out to make worshipers with disabilities feel welcome to participate in
worship, ministry and fellowship. Today we reflect on the contributions
persons with disabilities make to our faith communities. We celebrate the
progress we have made toward making full participation in our house of worship
possible. We renew our commitment to becoming a fully accessible faith
community where all can worship. (Add your plans to start an inclusion
committee, make an access modification, etc.)
Our faith community is working to be more welcoming to people with
disabilities and their families. We would like to invite worshipers with
disabilities to consider beginning a ministry as ushers, gift bearers, lectors
or ministers of Communion. We would be happy to provide any accommodations
needed. Please call the administrative office to volunteer to serve in a
ministry.
Adapted from Opening Doors, National Catholic Partnership on Disability
Bulletin Insert
Inclusion Awareness Day: Making Everyone Welcome
"Hi! My name is Cara.* I am nine years old. I have muscular dystrophy. I use
a wheelchair. I love to go to church.
I know I am accepted. I’m happy even
though my face is paralyzed and I can’t smile. I go to religious education
classes and have friends. There are close parking spots for my dad to park the
car. My classroom is on the first floor
and I get to go in a special door
with a ramp. My church makes it easier for me so I can go and learn and praise
God."
Inclusion Awareness Day gives congregations the opportunity to celebrate how
they welcome persons with disabilities into worship, fellowship, ministry and
religious education.
Cara’s faith community celebrates Inclusion Awareness Day every
year because they participate in the Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
program. This program promotes the inclusion of persons with disabilities in
worship and is sponsored by Pathways Awareness Foundation in partnership with
religious leaders.
When Cara’s congregation created clearly marked accessible
parking spaces and moved the location of her religious education class to an
accessible room, Cara felt welcomed and affirmed. She wanted to tell others
about how much she loved her church so she entered Pathways’ Junior Open Hearts
Awards. Cara’s entry received an award, which her congregation used to offset
the cost of making the main church entrance accessible. On Inclusion Awareness Day last year,
Cara’s congregation dedicated the newly ramped entrance to the church. Soon, all
buildings on the church campus will be accessible. The church washrooms are now
accessible and an elevator was added to the school.
Cara’s congregation and congregations that welcome and affirm
people with disabilities are truly opening their hearts, minds and doors so that
all may worship.
For more information about the Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open
Doors program, call Pathways Awareness Foundation at 1-800-955-2445 or visit
www.pathwaysawareness.org.
*name has been changed
Inclusive Prayers
Call to Worship
Loving and Gracious God,
We gather together in the welcoming spirit of your love. As you have
fashioned each one of us according to your image and embraced each of us with
your generous and gracious love, may we in turn open our arms and hearts wide in
welcome of each other as fellow citizens of your kingdom. In our gathering today
may we experience the joy and beauty of authentic fellowship where all are
valued and all are accepted.
In this hour of worship, turn our hearts to you. Touch us with your Spirit
and teach us your truth. Open our hearts to respond to your words and transform
our lives into the likeness of Christ Jesus.
Amen.
Rev. Donna Whitmore, Associate Director, Bridge Ministries, Kirkland,
Washington
Celebrating Differences
O Lord, thank you for the blessings of the gifts and talents shared by people
with disabilities. Teach us to meet the challenges of developing an
understanding and appreciation for who we are and how you intend for us to use
our strengths in our Church and community. Help us to value one another’s
differences.
Amen.
Maggie Delaney, Inclusion Ministry, Madison Avenue Christian Church,
Covington, KY
Inclusion Awareness Day Hymns
All are Welcome God Has Chosen Me
Sing A New Church Lover of Us All
We Are Many Parts We Remember
Gift of Finest Wheat Servant Song
Earthen Vessels
Open Doors (available at www.pathwaysawareness.org)
Note: Avoid selections that evoke a sense of pity or single out and label
persons with disabilities e.g. "the blind and the lame".
Preaching with Dignity and Respect
When preaching on Inclusion Awareness Day, it helps to remember key
factors:
- Use people-first language (see below).
- Stress mutual ministry. People with disabilities can minister to others.
- People with disabilities are not super-human.
- We all rely on one another to live our lives.
- Don’t be afraid to preach about lament being a legitimate form of prayer.
- Stress the gifts that might be missed when we exclude certain groups of
people, i.e. the call to inclusion benefits the entire church not only people
with disabilities.
- Watch language that belies able-bodied bias such as "confined to a
wheelchair". Many people who use wheelchairs experience them as a liberating
mobility device rather than confinement.
- Watch cultural stereotypes in biblical stories: i.e. uncleanness and
sinfulness being reflected in physical or mental disabilities.
Rev. Deborah Seles, Chair, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago Inclusion Task Force,
Director, L’Arche Chicago
Using People First Language is Crucial
People first language puts the person before the disability, and it describes
what a person has, not what a person is.
Are you "myopic" or do you wear glasses?
Are you "cancerous" or do you have cancer?
Are you "freckled" or do you have freckles?
Is a person "disabled" or does she or he have a disability?
If people with disabilities are to be included in all aspects of our
communities–in the ordinary, wonderful and typical activities most people take
for granted–we must use the ordinary, wonderful, typical language used about
people who don’t have disabilities.
Kathie Snow, Woodland Park, Colorado
Scripture Readings
Roman Catholic Parishes
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
One theme in today’s readings is recognizing and accepting the gifts each of
us can contribute to our faith communities. The readings warn us of the danger
of deciding who we think is worthy of being one of our community.
A second theme in today’s readings is the power of vulnerability drawing us
closer to God and each other in community.
Numbers 11:25-29
The gift of prophecy can be given to those we least expect. Throughout
salvation history, people with disabilities have been called to carry out the
plan of God. (Moses, St. Ignatius of Loyola, Paul)
Contemporary prophets can be people with disabilities in our faith
communities who bring us the message that we all have vulnerabilities. Our
mutual vulnerabilities bring us together as a worshipping community, drawing
us closer to God and each other.
James 5:1-6
James warns us about the arrogance that sometimes results from possessing
an over abundance of material things. Again the message that vulnerability not
power or possessions brings us closer to God is emphasized. This is the
message we can learn from disability. We are not in charge. We are all
vulnerable and our vulnerability can be a powerful tool to bring us closer to
God.
Mark 9:38-48
Our physical body is not important in developing our relationship with
God. Being a good example to others and turning away from sin is more
important than physical wholeness.
The directive to cut off a hand or a foot or to pluck out an eye is
hyperbole. The point being made is whatever keeps us from a right and full
relationship with God must be eliminated. Can this stumbling block to our
relationship with God be our refusal to see the Lord in the abilities and
gifts of others we consider disabled?
Deacon Dan Welter, St. Josaphat, Chicago, contributed to these homily
hints.
Scripture Readings
Episcopal Parishes
Mark 5:25-35 (and Matthew 9:20-23, Luke 8:43-48)
These texts can be preached by exploring how the woman who had been bleeding
for 12 years and Jesus crossed social boundaries to seek the kingdom. The woman
sought Jesus’ power and was not content with her role as one the society defined
as unclean. Jesus would have been considered unclean by her touch yet did not
rebuke her for her boldness and recognized her faith. These verses contain an
important message about the role of advocacy and the need for strong faith. Too
often people with disabilities receive the message from our society that they
should not bother the larger community with their concerns. But Jesus recognized
her faith and was present to her although he was on his way to heal Jarius’
daughter.
John 13:5-14
The scene of Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper is often
preached to encourage Christian charity. A liberation approach to this text
focuses on the dialogue between Peter and Jesus: it is only when we first allow
Jesus to wash us that we can serve others. Therefore, in a real way, these texts
stress mutual ministry and everyone’s need for healing. Jesus tells Peter that
unless he puts aside his false pride and allows Jesus to wash him, he can have
no part with Jesus. When sudden disability forces us to confront our
vulnerability, we do well to remember that there is grace in accepting help. We
can help others only to the degree that we have been cleansed by the same water,
only because God Incarnate has washed each of us.
Prayers of the Faithful
Response: Lord, make us one.
That people with disabilities be lovingly supported in living out their
calling to serve the community, we pray…
For creativity and sensitivity in breaking down barriers of attitude and
architecture to allow full participation for all members, we pray…
That the Lord will give us the strength and understanding to accept our own
disabilities, which hinder our growth in God’s love, we pray…
Communion or Closing Meditation
Agents of the Divine Plan
The description of God’s creation in the first chapter of Genesis portrays a
world of beauty and completeness. Each element of creation is seen as having a
proper place, part of the grand design. The structure of the work, the beauty of
the language, and the repetition of "God saw that it was good" all combine to
emphasize the rightness of the world as it was created. The animals and the
humans play their respective roles in maintaining an orderly cosmos.
This picture of the world, however, does not last long after the first
chapter of Genesis. Immediately, in the second chapter of the book, the course
of events seems to diverge from God’s original plan with its introduction of the
uncertainty of human development and decision-making. The relationship between
God and humanity is further challenged after the flood. God, thinking that there
was too much
evil in the world, decided that a new beginning was necessary.
After the flood, as Noah, his family, and the animals disembarked from the
ark, God recognized that human beings had significant moral limitations, and
God’s original, lofty expectations for humanity would need to be reconsidered
(Genesis 8:21ff). God had to redefine what could and could not be expected of
humans.
God models an accepting and loving stance toward humanity, lowering the bar
while still maintaining realistically high standards. God never gives up on
people or their ability to accomplish, but rather accepts that the vision needs
to be changed. God’s relationship to the first generation of humanity thus
begins with anticipation of a beautiful and orderly creation, and quickly
unfolds as that of a loving parent, sensitively confronting a child’s unforeseen
special needs.
Ora Horn Prouser, Dean, Academy for Jewish Religion, Riverdale, New York
Access Checklist
A quick walk through your facilities can reveal barriers to access. Use the
following checklist to get started. A check in the "no" column indicates an area
where you could improve access.
|
YES |
NO |
Parking Lot |
|
|
|
One in 25 parking spaces are accessible. |
|
|
|
Accessible parking spaces are adjacent to accessible
entrances. |
|
|
|
Curb cuts are available as needed. |
|
|
|
YES |
NO |
Entrances |
|
|
|
Entrances are accessible with doors at least 36 inches
wide. |
|
|
|
Doors are automatic or open with five pounds of pressure or
less. |
| |
|
Thresholds of doors are level (no more than one fourth inch
rise). |
|
|
|
YES |
NO |
Worship Space |
|
|
|
Aisles are 42 inches wide with passing space of 68
inches. |
|
|
|
Two in 25 seats in the congregation are cut out for
wheelchairs. |
|
|
|
Multi-story buildings have elevators or lifts. |
|
|
|
One accessible washroom is available on each
floor. |
|
|
|
Pews are 32 inches apart to accommodate canes or
crutches. |
|
|
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Assistive listening devices are available. |
|
|
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Large print prayer books are available. |
|
|
|
Sign language interpreters or real-time captioning is
available. |
|
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Sanctuary is accessible. |
|
|
|
Worship ministries welcome and accommodate participants with special
needs. |
Adapted from "Opening Doors", National Catholic Partnership on
Disability
Discussion Questions
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors Video
Attitudes
In her book The Disabled Disciple, Elizabeth Browne, the speaker in
the video who is blind, describes the first day that she ventured out after
becoming blind from a roller skating fall when she was ten years old.
- Why did the other children react to Elizabeth by stoning her?
- What attitudes do I have toward people who are different than I am?
- How can I make myself feel more comfortable around people who may have a
disability?
Affirmation
Recall a time when you felt affirmed and good about yourself. Why did you
feel affirmed?
Cardinal Bernardin said "Inclusion begins in our hearts. It begins with
affirmation." How can we affirm people who may have disabilities?
Henri Nouwen, the Dutch Theologian featured in the video, became friends
with Adam, a young man with significant disabilities. Through his friendship
with Adam, Henri came to know God as he had never known Him before. Bringing
Henri close to God was Adam’s gift to Henri. What gifts might people with
disabilities bring to our faith community?
Accessibility
How can we make it possible for people with disabilities to bring their
gifts to our community?
What obvious barriers to participation exist in our faith community? Are
there any ways we can break down these barriers?
Resources
Pathways Awareness Foundation
150 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601
1-800-955-2445
Email: friends@pathwaysawareness.org
website: www.pathwaysawareness.org
- Free folder of Inclusion How-To Materials
- Free Different Gifts, But the Same Spirit Lesson Plans on Inclusion
- Free Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors Quarterly Newsletter
- Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
Video
- Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors Idea Guide
- Opening Hearts, Minds and Doors: Embodying the Inclusive and Vulnerable
Love of God
White Paper
- The Vulnerable Journey
Audio Tape by Father Henri Nouwen
- Celebrating Inclusion in Worship: Seth’s Bar Mitzvah
Video
- 2001-2003 Inclusion Awareness Workbooks at
http://www.pathwaysawareness.org/
Sources
The following publications were used in this workbook with permission:
- Presbyterians for Disability Concerns
Claiming Our Place at the Table: Access Sunday Packet, 2003
100 Witherspoon Street, Room 4617
Louisville, KY 40202-1396
1-888-728-7228 ext. 5800
- National Catholic Partnership on Disability
Opening Doors to People with Disabilities, Volume 1: Pastoral Manual
415 Michigan Avenue, N.E., Suite 240
Washington, DC 20017-4501
202-529-2933
202-529-2933 tty
Post Office Box 1019
Manchester, NH 03105
www.shma.com
- The Disabled Disciple: Ministering in a Church Without Barriers
Elizabeth J. Browne, Ph.D.
Ligouri Publications | 
