What Does a Truly Accessible Parish Look Like?

Tue, 04/19/2022 - 7:30pm EDT to 8:45pm

Recording Coming Soon!

Join the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and the Institute for Human Ecology for a discussion on accessibility and the Catholic parish.

When people are asked if their parish is accessible, they often say "yes" if an elevator or ramp is available. While these items are helpful, they might not help a person who experiences mental illness, sensory needs, or an intellectual disability.

Join Michele Chronister, Meghan Concagh, and Kelly Mantoan as they discuss ways to make a parish is accessible to people of all abilities. They will explore how accessibility not only requires physical, liturgical, and catechetical adaptions, but also the conversion of every parishioner to see Christ in others – so that all members of the Body of Christ truly belong.

The IHE is proud to cosponsor this event with the National Catholic Partnership on Disability.

Captioning and ASL interpretation will be available.

This is a virtual event being conducted through Zoom.

Michelle Chronister

Michele Chronister

Michele Chronister is a national expert on the topic of faith and disability. She has presented at dioceses across the country, and authored the book, Handbook for Adaptive Catechesis. She is passionate about training parish leaders to teach the faith to persons with disabilities in a way that upholds to complexity and richness of the faith tradition. To learn more about Michele, you can read her blog, “My Domestic Monastery” which reflects on the monastic rhythm of family life.

Kelly Mantoan

Kelly Mantoan

Kelly Mantoan is a mother to five, including two boys with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), as well as a foster mother. She is the author of "Better Than OK - Finding Joy as a Special Needs Parent" and the founder of the Accepting the Gift ministry for Catholic parents of children with disabilities.

Meghan Concagh

Meghan Concagh

Meghan Concagh is an undergraduate in religious studies at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO. In the course of her studies, she has been developing short, accessible guides for parish use, encouraging a more inclusive, accessible environment for those with disabilities. She is passionate about using her voice as a person with a physical disability, to advocate for those with intellectual disabilities who may not be able to advocate for themselves.

Attachment	Size
"Welcoming All to Our Church" - Flyer by Meghan Concagh	251.35 KB

NCPD Parish Access Resources:

LAMB Inclusive Participation Tool: Language, Accessibility, Meaningful Participation, Belonging. View here.

Speaking of Disability: Pastoral Guidelines on Language. View here.

Pastoral Response to Persons with Mental Illness. View here.