Featured Resources
Survey of Parish Disability Awareness and Practices
As part of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability's (NCPD) Making Parishes Everyone’s Home program, NCPD seeks to implement best practices that address the needs of persons with disabilities through training, mentorship, and resource development.
Enero: El Bautismo de Jesús Actividades adaptadas para la formación de fe en el hogar
Recordando Nuestro Bautismo El bautismo es el sacramento de la fe. Pero la fe requiere la comunidad de creyentes. Es solo dentro de la fe de la Iglesia que cada feligrés puede creer. La fe requerida para el bautismo no es una fe perfecta y madura, sino un comienzo que está llamado a desarrollarse. Se pregunta al catecúmeno o al padrino: "¿Qué le pides a la Iglesia de Dios?" La respuesta es: "¡Fe!"
Strategic Components for Successfully Working with Individuals with ASD
Here are some strategies that can be used with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Not every child responds to every tactic. Choose the best strategies for the individual child. These ideas can also be used with children with other needs than autism, such as intellectual/developmental disabilities.
Tips for Welcoming People with Disabilities at Mass
What to Expect - Before Mass More late arrivals than usual Be patient and maintain a welcoming spirit. More traffic / vans than usual Use traffic cones to designate areas where cars and vans can pull over close to the church entrance to unload passengers. Schedule an usher/greeter to welcome and assist these guests.
Teaching Tips for Students with Autism
A few strategies for teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder!
Prayers of the Faithful: Autism Awareness Month
In order to spread awareness in your parish about Autism Spectrum Disorder during Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness month in April, choose one of these petitions to say during the Prayers of the Faithful during each weekend Mass for the month of April.Reflection: Blessed are those who weep, for they shall be comforted.
Jean Vanier reminds us that each Beatitude draws us closer to the Heart of Jesus. We begin to see with our own hearts and minds the humanness of the one who became our Savior. Today, we see the emotional Jesus who was so transparent that he “showed” his vulnerability with tears.Prayers to Foster Belonging
Commemoration of the Pastoral Statement on Persons with Disabilities Loving God You make each living person in your image …Your gift of love and commitment to the human race …A seed to build a community of interdependence and respect for all life
Access Surveys
The importance of thoughtful and careful planning for any ministry cannot be overemphasized. Planning should likewise be approached with creativity and openness. The following questions can initiate the planning process toward a universally designed ministry: What does it mean to create a church community open to all?
Universal Design on a Diocesan Level
There is no question that organization and structure are essential to an effective ministry with people with disabilities. However, there is no oneway to structure this ministry, as evidenced by the variety of configurations currently operating in dioceses throughout the country. We are witnessing the downsizing or consolidation of many programs, and in some cases, directors have been required to assume responsibility for additional ministries. These trends have made clear the need for creativity and openness to change when considering how best to create a welcoming and inclusive community of faith for all, including Catholics with disabilities.
Theological Framework on Mental Illness, 2007
The National Catholic Partnership on Disability sets forth the following framework as a guide to the Church’s ministry for and with people with mental illness:
Ethics Committee Letter to OPTN/UNOS on Organ Donation regarding VCA Living Donors, 2014
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) modified the OPTN Final Rule to include VCAs among transplantable organs, effective July 3, 2014. At its June meeting, the OPTN Board adopted an interim policy, without public comment but with a September 1, 2015, sunset provision. The VCA Transplantation Committee has solicited public comment on a proposal to make such policy permanent. Both provisions would permit living VCA donations.Opposing Maryland Assisted Suicide Bill of 2015 - Martin Benton 3/10/2015
Chairman Zirkin and distinguished Committee members, I appreciate the opportunity to testify this afternoon and register my strong opposition to Senate Bill (SB) 676, entitled the Richard E. Israel and Roger "Pip" Moyer Death with Dignity Act.
Opposing Maryland Assisted Suicide Bill of 2015, 2015
My name is Stephen L. Mikochik. On behalf of NCPD and the thousands of disabled Maryland Catholics it serves, I testify in opposition to S.B. 676, which, in legalizing assisted suicide, is an open invitation to patient abuse.
Opposing CA Assisted Suicide Bill, SB 128 7/2/2015
To Committee Chairs Stone and Bonta: My name is Stephen L. Mikochik. I am Professor Emeritus of Constitutional Law at Temple University in Philadelphia and past Chair of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD). On behalf of NCPD and the thousands of disabled Catholics it serves, I would urge you, should it reach your desk, to veto Assembly Bill (AB) 15 that, in legalizing assisted suicide, is an open invitation to patient abuse.- 1 of 5
- next ›
Strategic Components for Successfully Working with Individuals with ASD
Here are some strategies that can be used with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Not every child responds to every tactic. Choose the best strategies for the individual child. These ideas can also be used with children with other needs than autism, such as intellectual/developmental disabilities.Teaching Tips for Students with Autism
A few strategies for teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder!Prayers of the Faithful: Autism Awareness Month
In order to spread awareness in your parish about Autism Spectrum Disorder during Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness month in April, choose one of these petitions to say during the Prayers of the Faithful during each weekend Mass for the month of April.Access Surveys
The importance of thoughtful and careful planning for any ministry cannot be overemphasized. Planning should likewise be approached with creativity and openness. The following questions can initiate the planning process toward a universally designed ministry: What does it mean to create a church community open to all?Ethics Committee Letter to OPTN/UNOS on Organ Donation regarding VCA Living Donors, 2014
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) modified the OPTN Final Rule to include VCAs among transplantable organs, effective July 3, 2014. At its June meeting, the OPTN Board adopted an interim policy, without public comment but with a September 1, 2015, sunset provision. The VCA Transplantation Committee has solicited public comment on a proposal to make such policy permanent. Both provisions would permit living VCA donations.
Child & Adolescent Mental Health
Learn about the warning signs, causes, and treatments for mental health illnesses in youth and young adults.
Interacting with People with Vision Loss
20.6 million American adults are blind or living with vision loss that is not corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses (National Health Interview Survey 2012). The following are some tips to facilitation interaction among people with and without 20/20 vision.
Handout: The Person with Mental Illness
Ways to create a pro-life culture with persons living with mental illness.
A Story About Going to Mass
This resource tells what it is like to go to Mass from the perspective of a child. "When I enter church I dip the tips of the fingers on my right hand in the holy water and bless my self with the sign of the cross. To myself or out loud I say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
My Mass Book Picture Missal
Print out this resource to create a book about each part of the Mass. A person can follow along with this book during Mass to help them meaningfully participate in the liturgy.
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew
Autism is an extremely complex disorder but for purposes of this one article, we can distill its myriad characteristics into four fundamental areas: sensory processing challenges, speech/language delays and impairments, the elusive social interaction skills and whole child/self-esteem issues.
A Prayer of St. Francis for Autism
"Lord, let thy peace fill me up until I overflow..."
The New Eugenics: Eliminating the “Undesirable” by Prenatal Diagnosis, 2010
"[Prenatal testing and diagnosis] techniques were developed to enhance the well-being of mother and child and foster the ability to deliver healthy babies. Yet, when the goal is achieved by delivering only healthy babies and denying life to those deemed less than perfect, a Machiavellian distortion of the good these techniques intended is effected."
NCPD Statement on Health Care Reform (H.R. 3590), 2009
"The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) applauds the 240 members of Congress who supported The Stupak-Pitts Amendment in the US House of Representatives’ Health Care Reform proposal (H.R. 3962). This amendment would permanently prevent the funding of abortion within the public option of the plan."