This learning session will provide information on creating an accepting environment for persons with disabilities by providing accommodations during Mass so they can have meaningful participation and experience in the Eucharistic celebration.
Chairperson, Ministry with Persons with Disabilities, St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish. Barbara and her husband, Dave, moved to Houston in 1981, where they raised three children. In 2014, she retired from public school teaching after 33 years in Special Education. Barbara worked part-time for six years at St. Ambrose Catholic School, where she coordinated educational services for students with various learning needs. As a parishioner at St. Matthew the Evangelist for 30 years, Barbara has been a Catechist and member of several ministries, currently chair the parish’s Ministry with Persons with Disabilities, which hosted a sensory-friendly Mass for individuals throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. She is a steering committee member for the same ministry in the Archdiocese, she has written accommodations for Catechists’ lesson plans, presented at various conferences for Catechists, families, & clergy, and wrote a Catechetical Module: Human and Spiritual Development with Persons with Disabilities.
Associate Director for the Office for Persons with Disabilities, Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Noelle and her family reside in Centerville, OH where she works for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as the Associate Director for the Office for Persons with Disabilities. She has four children ranging from ages 5 to 14 and is incredibly passionate about creating a culture of inclusion and meaningful participation for persons with disabilities and their families. Noelle is a graduate from the University of Dayton with a BA in Religious Studies and a minor in both Women's Studies and Social Work. She has also received catechetical certification in Special Needs Ministry through the VLCFF Program. In her time working for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Noelle has spearheaded the development of the new Office for Persons with Disabilities, worked to institute Sensory-Friendly Liturgies as a regular part of parish life, and has collaborated with parishes and other Archdiocesan Offices to establish a sense of belonging for all.
