Disability Awareness

Welcome to the Disability Awareness group of Covenant 5. A primary goal of Disability Awareness is that each congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan be fully accessible. You will find a detailed listing of various accessibility and awareness topics and resources. See the menu items on the right, under Groups > Disability Awareness. For more information, see our About this group page.

National disability resources

DisabilityInfo.gov -This online connection to the federal government's disability-related information and resources is a user-friendly Web site with links to information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and other community members. [ read more ]

Michigan disability resources

Michigan Agencies, Associations, and Organizations - This comprehensive, annual, statewide disability listing is located in the Michigan Directory of Service Providers for Infants, Toddlers, and Students with Disabilities, section 23-26. [ read more ]

Resources and links

Found here are national and Michigan disability resources, in the navigation menu to your right. Feel free to take advantage of the opportunities that they offer to better serve people with disabilities.

Direct assistance for people with disabilities

AT Xchange (AT) If you have a used assistive technology item in storage that could help someone with a disability, post a classified ad at ATXchange.org. Items such as wheel chairs, stair lifts, Braille readers or reachers are possibilities. Include a digital photo. ATxchange is also open to vendors who have used equipment for sale. ATxchange is a free service. [ read more ]

Ushers: Ministers of hospitality

Hospitality is not an additional courtesy; it is a central component of the Christian message, attitude and behavior; therefore, it is integral to the liturgical celebration of the Christian faithful. Ministers of Hospitality have the unique privilege and the responsibility to create this cordial and welcoming environmental for the church community. [ read more ]

Worship service books

Episcopal Disability Network (EDN): In More Than Fifty Ways to Make Your Parish Accessible with Little or No Cost Involved, EDN suggests the purchase of large-print copies of the Hymnal and the Book of Common Prayer. If cost is a problem, please contact them for assistance. [ read more ]

Accessibile Congregations Campaign

The Accessible Congregations Campaign is a project of the Religion and Disability Program of the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) and seeks the commitment of congregations to include people with all types of disabilities as full [ read more ]

Relating to people with disabilities

The following books and pamphlets provide helpful information on this subject: [ read more ]

Who are people with disabilities?

[ read more ]

Who are people with disabilities?

Accessibility Survey

These two surveys can help you evaluate how accessible your parish is to people with disabilities.

Accessibility Survey (Survey #1) ATTITUDE

There are no barriers to belonging to the community of faith that the people of God cannot overcome. [ read more ]

National Pastoral Life Center

Resource (link) submitted by cov5-admin on 06 May 2009

Web link: http://www.nplc.org;

In serving the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church's pastoral ministry (pastors, parish staff, lay Catholic leaders, and diocesan staff) the National Pastoral Life Center offers a variety of publications, several pertaining to relating with people who have disabilities. [ read more ]

Disabilities Concerns (DISC)

Resource (link) submitted by cov5-admin on 06 May 2009

Web link: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/health/; E-mail: hwmin@gbgm-umc.org; Phone: (212) 870-3871;

DISC is a program of the Health and Welfare Ministries of the General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church. It is an online support group with web pages for spirituality resources, annotated bibliographies, and news about ministries with people with disabilities. [ read more ]

Episcopal Disability Network

Resource (link) submitted by cov5-admin on 06 May 2009

Web link: http://www.disability99.org; E-mail: disability99@earthlink.net; Phone: (888) 738-3636;

EDN's mission is to enable each child of God regardless of the severity of his or her disability to be an integral member of the Body of Christ, to participate in the sacraments of the church, and to discern and live out his or her calling as a Christian. EDN has links to many disability-related groups. These can be accessed by clicking on links in the left-hand column. The Rev. [ read more ]

Equal Access Guide

Resource (link) submitted by cov5-admin on 06 May 2009

Web link: http://www.ncccusa.org/elmc/disabilities%20manual.html; Phone: (212) 870-2267;

The National Council of Churches of Christ's Committee on Disabilities, part of the Education and Leadership Ministries Commission, has prepared a comprehensive "Equal Access Guide for Meetings, Conferences, Large Assemblies and Worship." The guide is based on the theological principles that all people are created in the image of God, have spiritual gifts, and are invited to participate in God's m [ read more ]

Religion and Disability Program of the National Organization on Disability (NOD)

Resource (link) submitted by cov5-admin on 06 May 2009

Web link: http://www.nod.org; E-mail: ability@nod.org; Phone: (202) 293-5960;

This interfaith effort urges national faith groups, local congregations and seminaries to identify and remove barriers of architecture, communications, and attitudes. The program helps to sponsor That All May Worship conferences, conferences that bring together people with disabilities and religious leadership to plan improved access - both physical and spiritual - in houses of worship. [ read more ]

Ways to make your parish accessible

Three basic ways to become accessible

There are three basic ways to improve accessibility and worship possibilities for people with disabilities. [ read more ]

Why be accessible?

1. God welcomes all of us into His kingdom, so we can do no less than welcome persons with disabilities into our congregation. [ read more ]

About this group

Disability Awareness of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is a committee with deep interest in disability awareness. Some members are people with disabilities, others are relatives of people with disabilities and still others are people who have or are now engaged full-time or part-time in direct disability work. [ read more ]

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