Parish Disability Resources

• Accessibility through Creativity Sometimes accessibility is a new way of thinking and sometimes involve little or no cost. (from NCPD)

• Assess physical accessibility in your church building, including possible solutions.

•  Creating Inclusion Accessible documents review and training is available for free from Easter Seals Iowa Assistive Technology staff at, 401 NE 66th Ave. in Des Moines, Iowa 50313.  Please call 1-866-866-8782 or 515-289-4069 (TTY) or email atinfo@eastersealsia.org
• Guidelines from the USCCB Committee on the Liturgy Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship document that on p42-43 Accessibility section.
• Inclusive Participation Assessment Tool:  LAMB (from NCDP) or purchase the LAMB paperback or Spanish version).  This is a tool to assess and help guide the development and evaluation of programs, materials and/ or other resources for use in the Church, relative to accessibility or usability for all persons.  LAMB includes the four categories of: Language, Accessibility (physical, social, learning), Meaningful Participation and Belonging.
• Parish physically accessible resource for the Diocese of Des Moines that includes contacts and resources for planning assistance to meet ADA requirements, financial resources and accessible signage. 

Here are some resources discussing various types of Assistive Listening Devices that work with hearing aid types.  Hopefully this will assist in evaluating needs and what should be considered when choosing a type of Assistive Listening Device for your parish.

• Assistive Listening Systems Resources/Vendors in Iowa is an information only resource of potential vendors in our Diocese and basic information from them to help start the process to learn about Assistive Listening Systems and options to consider.
• Assistive Listening Devices Accessibility Calculator provided by Listen Technologies to ensure your assistive listening system meets the latest compliance guidelines
• Association of Late Hearing Adults (ALDA) is an advocacy organization. ALDA is committed to providing a support network and a sense of belonging by sharing our unique experiences, challenges and coping strategies, helping one another find practical solutions and emotional support, and working together with other organizations and service providers for our common good.
• Gathering Sound strives to break down the barriers that lead to social isolation for people with hearing loss. Andrea Kaneb's motivation comes from her own triumphs over hearing loss and her website provides resources and advocacy for people with hearing loss.
• Hearing Loss and Assistive Listening devices from NCPD
• Hearing Loops vs. Bluetooth by Linda S. Remensnyder, Au.D.; President: Hearing Associates, P.C.
• Hearing Assistive Technology and documentGet in the Hearing Loop from Hearing Loss Association of America
• Hearing Loops and Telecoils:  When will they become obsolete? from International Hearing Access Committee
• Hearing Loss Association of America--Omaha Chapter has resources including a locator system to find churches and businesses that have Assisted Listening Systems in their buildings.
• Infrared, Frequency/Digital Modulation, and Induction Hearing Loops: A Comparison of Assistive Listening Technologies, 2014
• Understanding Hearing Assistive Technology from the Hearing Loss Association of America
• Webinar on Assistive Listening and ADA/CBC Compliance.  Webinar provided by Listen Technologies. The first half covers legal requirements of ADA/CBC, at 28 minutes it discusses signage requirements, and 31 minytes it describes different types of systems.

• Welcoming Strategies and Tips for Systemic Change:  How parishes can better serve persons with disabilities.
• A Good Host is a Good Planner, a checklist to insure all feel welcome and can participate at gatherings (from NCPD)
• Checklist for Special Needs and Inclusion Ministry from Key Ministries whose mission is to promote meaningful connection between churches and families of kids with disabilities for the purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ.
• Church Guide for Parents/Social Story, a social story for parents to utilize with their children to teach them about going to church and attending mass.
• Dementia Friendly Parish resources from NCPD
• Disabilities in Parishes Across the United States:  How Parishes in the United States Accommodate and Serve People with Disabilities. Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) was commissioned by Potomac Community Resources Inc. (PCR), National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD), the Department of Special Needs of the Arch-diocese of Washington, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington to conduct the first-ever nationwide survey of how Catholic parishes, dioceses, and Catholic Charities are incorporating
  individuals with disabilities and their families into the single flock of the Church.
• Disability Etiquette and Hospitality (from NCDP)

• Inclusion Tip/Fact Sheets on disabilities and related issues for inclusive parish life.
  Child of God

• Autism at Mass-Mass Without Tears

• Christmas

      Christmas Story Characters

      Jesus is Born

     Nativity set Touch and Talk

      Shepherd Match

      Sensory Bags

     Three Wise Kings

• Compound Caregivers

• Coping with the Holidays (English and Spanish)

•  Feeling Comfortable with People with Disabilities

•   Inclusion: Happy Kids for Christmas

•   Mental Illness Stigma--What Would I do?

•   Ministering to Difficult People

• Pastoral Visits with Someone with Dementia

•   Postpartum Depression

•   Prenatal Diagnoses and Pro-Life Choices

•   Preparing for the holidays for someone with autism 

•   7 Gift ideas for Caregivers in your Life

•   Siblings of Children with Disabilities

• Suicide Prevention Inclusion Tip Sheet/The Key to Suicide Prevention: Knowledge

•   Supporting Parishioners with Mental Illness

•   The Blessings of Autism

• Inclusive Participation Assessment Tool:  LAMB (from NCDP) or purchase the LAMB paperback or Spanish version)
• How to Talk to Children about People with Disabilities, by Charleen Katra, Executive Director
• Joni & Friends--Irresistible Church Training Series for Special Needs Ministry The series explores 12 aspects of serving families affected by disability that includes a book, supplemental resources, and training tools, all downloadable for free.
• Language: A powerful tool for parish hospitality (from NCPD) include pdf of Language Do's and Don'ts in English and Spanish.
• Open Heart Hospitality resource utilizing above NCPD document as resource.
• Parish Advocate Guide and Parish Access Contact Guide The Parish Guides are a parishioner, approved by the pastor who serves as a resource to support the inclusion and meaningful belonging of individuals with disabilities and their families in the life of the parish. This individual works in consultation with the pastor, staff, and parish volunteers.  Parish Access Contacts should also connect with diocesan and national ministry leaders. Diocese of Des Moines Parish Advocate Job Description for potential ideas.

• Pastor Tip Sheet (original document from National Apostolate for Inclusion Ministry – NAfIM)
• Pew Card for Disabilities and Pew Card for Mental Illness (Prior to printing add your parish name, choose two-sided print and flip on short edge) to raise awareness of welcoming persons with disabilities and mental illness in your parish. 
• 3 Tips for Retaining Disability Ministry Volunteers.  This resource provides idea of how to retain your volunteers and how to make sure they know they are appreciated.

• Sensory Friendly Mass resource of ideas of how to encourages parishes to consider adaptations to a current mass already scheduled to embrace and welcome members of our church with Autism, Down Syndrome, Developmental/Intellectual and other disabilities. The first sensory friendly mass was held in our diocese in May 2022.
  • A recording of a sensory friendly mass and a script to learn more about types of small adaptions is available.
  • Additional resources on Sensory Friendly Mass can be found at NCPD.
  • Additional resources on Sensory Friendly Mass from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
  • Inclusive Family Masses Introduction and Structure and iCare of Northeast Kansas has done a video that captures the spirit of their mission of providing meaningful participation in the Mass, religious education, sacramental prep and Socials for persons with developmental disabilities and their families.
  • Diocese of Cincinnati has a sensory friendly mass resource page with ideas for homilies, sensory manipulatives,  bulletin and pulpit announcements, etc.

• Speaking of Disability: Pastoral Guidelines on Language (English) and Speaking of Disability: Pastoral Guidelines on Language (Spanish) (from NCPD, currently being update and will be reposted once it is made available to us)
• Tips for Welcoming People with Disabilities at Mass (from NCPD)
• Volunteer Retention:  Tips for Retaining Disability Ministry Volunteers
• Welcoming Ideas for Caregivers for parishes to accompany people in their caregiving journey and be a part of a faith community.

     Ideas to welcome caregivers and the people they care for at our worship and events.

• Welcoming Strategies for Systemic Change includes ways to get started in being welcoming for persons with disabilities.

• Catholic Aging Ministry

  This is a ministry for aging and cognitive impairment. We offer hope for families impacted by dementia through practical caregiving strategies and through the doctrine & tradition of our beautiful Catholic Faith. We are pro-life, pro-family, and pro-eternal life. Their work includes:  

  1. One-on-one virtual appointments with caregivers for guidance
  2. The Peace with Dementia Rosary: Education, Intentions, Community
  3. Speaking at conferences and Catholic parishes
  4. Our community, including the Dementia Prayer wall for your intentions
  5. Daily FB videos, weekly e-newsletters, monthly interview videos/podcasts
• Catholic Caregivers is a program of the Friends of St. John the Caregiver. We provide information and material to help those who support and work with caregivers. We do ask that you keep the Friends of St. John the Caregiver copyright on any material that's distributed. Another sister site is Your Aging Parent which this site is designed for family caregivers. It's for those who are helping a: spouse,aging parent, child with special needs, sibling with special needs , family member or friend. Here you'll find spirituality, information and resources for Catholic caregivers. All the material and resources are free from these organizations that only ask for free will donations.

• Nourish for Caregivers is is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Created to improve the health and spiritual well-being of family caregivers...we provide faith-based programs and resources to churches and organizations to support caregivers.   Our mission is to equip churches to create a spiritual home that ministers to the practical, emotional and spiritual needs of caregivers, giving them the tools and resources to help caregivers connect with their faith and encounter Christ, so that they can see the grace and blessings in their caregiver journey.

Nourish for Caregivers is a complete turnkey curriculum with all of the resources and tools needed to successfully implement an ongoing program for family caregivers.  The Christ-centered materials focus on issues common to all caregivers, covering twelve (12) topics. Included are curriculum that cover subjects such as:

• The Caregiver Role and Decisions You Face
• Managing Family Dynamics
• Coping with Stress
• The Spirituality of Asking For Help
• End-of-Life Issues

We have three models available flexible to the specific needs of your organization: Traditional Model, Virtual/Hybrid Model and Healthcare Model. Read more about each program on their website.

• I Love You-When Someone you Love Dies and Healing the Hurtis a resource to assist individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience loss and grieve for lost loved ones, just like everyone does.  When that person has a hard time communicating how they feel or processing complicated emotions, it makes it more difficult.   

• FREE Prayer Cards of Patron Saints of Mental Illness from Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers

• After Suicide: Seven Things for Catholics to Know (pack of 10) from Franciscan Media

• Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministry supports Catholic parishes and dioceses in establishing mental health ministries.  Mental health ministries provide vital spiritual accompaniment for people experiencing mental health challenges and mental illness, as well as those who care for them.
• National Association of Mental Illness, NAMI Faith Net is an interfaith resource network of NAMI members, friends, clergy and congregations of all faith traditions who wish to encourage faith communities who are welcoming and supportive of persons and families living with mental illness.
• NAMI provides a brochure available for printing Being a Stigma Free Faith Community or a variety of pre-printed items for purchase on this topic at their store.

• NAMI  Compassion in Action: A Guide for Faith Communities Serving People Experiencing Mental Illness and Their Caregivers. 

• NCPD Mental Illness resources includes a resource entitled A Pastoral Response to Mental Illness in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In addition to this resource, the council also recently revised their Mental Illness Theological Framework. Resources include supporting people with mental illness in your parish, prayers of the faithful for mental illness awareness and more.
• Parish Mental Health Trauma Mental Health Ministry Program Options.
• Pew Card for Mental Illness (Prior to printing add your parish name, choose two-sided print and flip on short edge) to raise awareness of welcoming persons with mental illness in your parish. 
• Supporting Parishioners with Mental Illness (English and Spanish)
• Welcome and Valued:  Supporting People with Mental Illness in Parish Life (DVD)This DVD from NCPD features in-depth looks at people with mental illness and how they participate in parish life. It examines the four aspects of recovery: biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. Parish considerations include setting boundaries, acute behavior, confidentiality, and suicide. 

• Going to Mass social narrative that can be edited.
• Mass Book of a step-by-step guide to the Mass with Picture Communication Symbols to purchase
• My Mass Book example from the Archdiocese of Newark
• My Mass Kit a child-size soft kit for reverent play to learn about the Mass.
• My Picture Missal Flip Book from Loyola Press

• Picture Missal example from St. Francis of Assisi
• We go to Mass picture schedule resource (also available in Spanish)
• Silicone Rainbow Rosaries for prayer and fidget resource during Mass to purchase
• Social Stories for Going to Mass : The Catholic Toolbox includes several different options.
• Social Story Going to Mass and Picture Icons to purchase
• The Mass Window Chart from Autom