No. We all learn from each other and are one human family. Diversity enriches communities. More learning and growth happens amongst people who are different: people from different cultures, with different experiences, ways of thinking, processing information, learning, and strengths. When individuals with disabilities are restricted to segregated spaces, the Body of Christ misses the opportunities for this richness, and it restricts the presence of the Spirit amongst us, within the interactions between the diverse members of the Body of Christ, due to such marginalizing practices (1Cor 12). Individuals with and without disabilities, as well as the Church, miss the benefits of such diverse relationships and opportunities for life that is rich and full of potentials for growth. 

Separation & Isolation Hurts People

Data shows that persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are:

• 4 times more likely to be bullied as a child or teen
• 4 times more likely to experience physical and sexual violence against them
• 3 times as likely to live in poverty

Discrimination, community violence, social exclusion, exclusion from family and unstable living conditions are lived experiences associated with the above statistics.

• Behaviors often defined as “problems” can be symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is important not to jump to conclusions.  

Isolation from community life and relationships heightens the sense of separation and loneliness, and it has health risks too! According to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, loneliness causes:

• 32% increased risk of having a stroke
• As deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day
• 29% increased risk of heart disease
• 50% increased risk of dementia

The Call and Challenge of Catholic social teaching

Catholic social teaching is concerned with all that supports human flourishing. This sounds overwhelming, but it simply means that that every person is created in the image of God, and therefore deserves access to the things of a fully human life, like a home, love, education, community participation, meaningful employment, worship, respect, the ability to make decisions in one’s life, etc.

Everyone has different strengths, interests, capacities, and weaknesses. But everyone has the ability to learn and develop when provided with appropriate supports and reasonably high expectations. Respecting this includes preparing our spaces, resources, processes, and interactions to accommodate diverse styles of learning and participating in community life. Doing this fosters growth personally for persons with disabilities, and as disciples of Christ.

It not only fosters development, it helps to change the expectations of others about persons with disabilities’ potential and capacity for growth. This is at the heart of what Pope Francis is saying in the quote from Fratelli Tutti above. It provides the beginning proofing of the Church as yeast to leaven society.

Inclusive post-secondary education for students with intellectual disability is one such example. For more information on this, check out https://thinkcollege.net/.  And strategies initiated to support specific people often benefit others. For example, ramps make spaces accessible to wheelchair users, as well as people pushing children in strollers.

Terms like “special needs” and “differently abled” are euphemisms. Such language informs practices that emphasize differences between people with and without disabilities. Individuals with disabilities reject such terms because they find them either patronizing or indicating the speaker’s discomfort with disability, that it is something not discussed in polite company.

Such language and practices contribute to the sense of isolation and not belonging that Renee voices above and that Pope Francis references in Fratelli Tutti.

The term “special needs” may be a holdover from special education. When encountered, it is typically from parents or family members who have become so used to being told what their loved one cannot do or will never do, rather than considering what they can do when provided with appropriate education and supported with reasonably high expectations.   

Erik Carter, a long-time researcher at the intersection of disability, faith, as well as an inclusive educator, says, “there are no special needs, only human needs. However, some individual will require extra support.” Supports are things like stairs, ramps, differentiated instruction, communication devices, etc. They provide access to needs, but are not needs in themselves.

Everyone needs to belong, to be listened to, to contribute, to be needed, to be heard, appreciated, supported, and have access to appropriate education, worship, employment, etc. The faith we proclaim calls us to support this.

Getting to know someone is the first step in accompanying them. The process is the same for all people, with and without disabilities. Though there may be some additional questions, depending on the person Here are some initial questions that you may already ask new people you notice attending Sunday Eucharist: 

1. If you don’t know their name, this is the first question, after introducing yourself.
2. Are any parish groups of interest?
3. Do you have particular interests in parts of the mass or Catholic traditions? (for example, really enjoys music, ritual, singing, praying the rosary, etc)
4. What other things are you interested in?
5. What are your particular strengths?

As the conversation progresses and you realize the individual has a disability, here are some additional questions.

1. What kind of supports would help you participate more effectively?
2. What kind of situations make you feel uncomfortable?
3. What are signs of you feeling uncomfortable? (What behaviors might be presented?)
4. What are helpful responses to help you feel comfortable again?
5. Notice the individual’s way of communicating. Speech, augmented communication devices, letter board, etc? If speech, do they use a lot of words or just a few?  
6. Do you know any of our parishioners?

The dynamic will change a bit based on the person’s age, how much they communicate independently, and if you’re speaking directly with the person, or mostly through the parents, caregivers, or service providers, at least initially.

In all cases though, you want to include the individual if they are present in age-appropriate ways. The first step is to develop a good understanding of the person’s strengths, interests, challenges, and desired supports from their perspective, again in age-appropriate ways.

There is more information that will be helpful to support deeper levels of participation. It could be at the request of a person with a disability or parents regarding their son or daughter about deeper levels of engagement in the parish, such as adult faith formation, the parish catechetical program, youth ministry, social justice activities, choir, etc. You want to understand how they learn and what would be helpful ways to support this. No matter our age, we continue to learn throughout life, including about our faith and ways to participate.

The suggestions below for questions/conversations to get to individuals with disabilities will help you develop a pastoral plan for PwD.

A Brief Reminder

• Preference is Person First Language, but verify their preference. Seek to understand the person, not the disability.
• Ask about their strengths, likes, dislikes AS WELL AS specifics learning supports in addition to their diagnosis.
• Parents, teachers, the person, caregivers, and support professionals are a great source of insight and guidance.
• Possibly observe in other settings: school, home, work, enrichment activities, etc.

Framing the Conversation

Determine what the individual (as much as possible) and parent(s) want regarding the level of participation. Besides the person and family members, their teachers and/or service providers can be the best source of information to nurture ideas for parish pastoral leaders and catechists.

• Demonstrate an attitude of openness and support. 
• Begin with the questions in the above block if you have not met with them before.
• It is important to begin with someone’s strengths and interests, what makes them unique, and then proceed to their preferred supports. 
• We are each a person first. Particularly in a faith community, different abilities and disabilities do not determine our value as a person, though they do influence what each person is able to do.
• Assure them that your questions seek to to provide the most supportive environment possible.
• Their information will be private and confidential.
• They will decide what information to share and with whom. Hopefully, this will at least include the people interacting directly, such as catechist, circle of friends, etc.
• This will help to explain different behaviors, leading to awareness and improved understanding in the parish.
• Respect that each person/family will have different goals and supports, AND that each person/family will have different desires for parish involvement.

Here are some additional questions to guide your conversation. But remember, it IS a conversation. You are not simply filling out a form. 

1. What kind of experience do you want – what level of participation?
2. What are effective learning strategies?
3. What are good motivators?
4. What causes discomfort and helpful responses.
5.  What is helpful to hold their attention?
6.  What is their diagnosis? This is only to provide some additional sense of supports that could be helpful.
7. How would you describe their social relationships?
   • With siblings?
   • With same age peers?
   • With other members of the family and community?
8. What is their school or day environment like: inclusive setting, separate programing, or mixture?
9.  What adaptations and supports for learning and participation do they use?
10. Do you attend Mass together? If yes, briefly describe the experience. If not, why not? (This is not for judgment, but to determine if there are any behavioral issues preventing it. If so, learning to attend Mass i a part of the catechetical experience and may be the place to begin.) 
11. Do they have any diet or environmental issues?
12.  Do they have any medical issues you need to be aware of?
13. Is there anything else you would like to share?

Remember, accessibility refers to the ability for someone to access information, places, and activities. How someone communications, moves through spaces, and comprehends information will also influence it.

In registration process, ask if someone requires any supports or assistance to participate fully. They will tell you what they need.

Below are some possibilities:

• Large print handouts. San serif font such as Ariel, 17 or larger. Ask what font size
• People who are blind or have low vision should receive the slides ahead of time digitally. See Preparing Accessible Presentation for more information on screen reader accessibility.
• American Sign Language Interpreter – people who are Deaf should sit together up front near interpreter.
• Captioning
• Mobility assistance – wheelchair, cane, walker, scooter, etc – see recommendations on physical accessibility
• Note taking assistance
• Food or environmental allergies
• Sensory issues

This is more than a lack of ramp or elevator alternative to stairs. It also includes:

• Cramped seating that impedes:
  • wheelchair users,
  • people who need to move around a bit,
  • someone who is blind and uses a white cane or service dog.
• Ability to access and/or understand the information:
  • as presented,
  • in handouts
  • on a website

Building Accessibility – A Checklist – People Able to Get in & Move Around

• Designated disability parking spaces and drop off location near the entrance
• Parking area is uncluttered and has curb cutouts, appropriate lighting to see at night
• Clear signage for entrances, exits, restrooms
• Restrooms accessible to wheelchair users
• Ramp or elevator for people who can’t use stairs

Room Layout – Checklist

• Side aisles should be at least 60”
• Inner aisles at least 36” and be free of chairs, power chords, etc. 
• Seating should allow for mixed seating and personal preference.  For example, don’t designate a specific table or area for wheelchair users.  
• Designate at least one greeter who can assist anyone who needs a chair moved to allow space for their wheelchair or service animal.

Ensure that participants can hear, see, and understand the material presented and can participate in the event/process. PowerPoint slides and projected material have two primary concerns, that they are accessible and understandable during the presentation.

Projected material should be visible from the back of the room, including texts and important visuals such as charts and graphs.

Individuals who are blind or have low vision should have access to digital copy of the presented material to access through their screen reader or large print. This will also benefit individuals who need more time to process information.

Consider evidence-based teaching/learning practices based on your audience. Follow active learning principles and make session interactive.

Slide layout and formatting suggestions:

• Accessibility via screen reader and audio files are important considerations. More on this on linked page for more detailed accessibility information.
• Use standard slide layouts as much as possible to simplify ordering of slide sections for screen reader access.
• Font: a sans serif font such as Arial, Calibri, Tahoma, or Veranda.
• Slide title size should be at least 44.
• Slide text should be 24 -36.
• Limit the amount of information on each slide, ideally to a maximum of 8 lines per slide.
• Leave space at the bottom for captions to show in the recording.
• Text at left margin, not full justified.
• Simple backgrounds are preferred that have high contrast between text and background.
• Use Microsoft Accessibility Check before recording and share slides. Click here to access Microsoft Accessibility Check instructions.
• Describe charts, tables, and any important visuals in presentation within flow of your comments. You can add descriptions to all of these within presentation by right-clicking on ‘alt text’ and add simple description.
• Handouts: San serif font size 12, 17 for large print.

Suggestions for Presenters and Table Facilitators for an Accessible Presentation

After preparing for an accessible event, the final consideration is its delivery. Very often these are not considered, but they have a big impact.

• Speak clearly and use simple language for different comprehension levels. Avoid jargon, which includes much of our treasured theological and spiritual language. Particularly since we want to listen to people who feel disengaged with the Church, we can’t presume these terms will be familiar or relatable.
• Be visible: face participants when speaking and keep microphone and hands away from your face for people who lip-read. They will presumably be sitting in the front, so you should stay in the front of the room.
• Use microphone for large room presentation and repeat questions if participants don’t have a microphone to ask questions. For large events, best practice is to have a few people with cordless microphones to go to questioners.
• Cover all the text on slides, which is different than simply reading the slides.
• Pace your delivery to give people a chance to process the information.
• Engage your audience in the learning process.
• Allow time for movement breaks OR encourage those who need to walk around periphery of room if needed.
• Describe pertinent visuals and graphics.
• Describe any visual information.  For example, if you ask people to raise their hands in response to a question, say what percentage or approximate number of people did so.
• Hearing assistance: hearing loop, FM or Infrared Systems for people who are Hard of Hearing or have hearing aids or cochlear implants.
• ASL for people who are Deaf.  Speak at a reasonable pace for interpreter and you should be standing near each other, so individuals watching the interpreter can also see your expressions and gestures. Spell any unfamiliar words. People who speak Spanish use ASL, but interpreter should be bilingual.
• Limit background noise as much as possible.

For more detailed accessibility planning click here