Disability & Pastoral Accompaniment
True accompaniment begins with a genuine encounter. To truly meet someone where they are, we must take the time to understand their unique interests, strengths, challenges, and life circumstances. This is essential for everyone, both those with and without disabilities.
For persons with disabilities, it means learning about their specific experiences and understanding how disability shapes their daily lives. Only then can we fully support and walk alongside them in faith and community.
Language, Imaging & Talking About Persons with Disabilities
Getting to Know the Person
Supports Provide ACCESS to Needs – They Are Not Needs in Themselves
Assessing Parish Presence & Participation of Persons with Disabilities (PwD)
Planning Accessible Events, Presentations & Programs
The Human Need to Belong
Belonging is a fundamental human need, and when it is absent, the impact can be deeply felt, as highlighted by the statistics above. It’s no surprise, then, that in the Faith and Flourishing Project led by Erik Carter and his colleagues, teens and young adults with autism and/or intellectual disabilities, along with their families, expressed that feeling like they belonged was their greatest desire within their faith communities.
But what does “belonging” truly mean? It’s not enough to simply say someone belongs. Through their research, Carter and his team identified ten key dimensions of belonging—all of which must be present for a person to feel genuinely included in a community. Further down, these dimensions are organized into Levels of Belonging, providing a practical assessment and planning tool for your parish to support persons with disabilities in feeling truly welcome.