Online resources: 

From the USCCB: 

In this article, Janice Benton and Nancy Thompson from NCPD remind us:
​"Disability is not exceptional but a natural condition that we must anticipate and prepare for in our parishes."
If you would like the published booklet, they are available at the DIocese of Youngstown Office of Religious Education (Contact Sandi at 330-744-8451x302, or email Sandi here). 
Maureen Platt, author of Salt & Light: Church, Disabilities, and the Blessings of Welcome for All, provides a thoughtful article on helping to prepare children and adults with disabilities for sacraments. Salt & Light is available from the diocesan library (see below). 

From the National Catholic Partnership on Disability:

​Includes resources and links to resources for people with Mental Illness, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing, Physical Disability, and Blindness/Vision Loss. 
This 12-minute video, "Catechesis and Persons with Disabilities: A Necessary Engagement in the Daily Life of the Church," is excellent team-building viewing as it inspires and encourages us to minister to and with children and adults of all different abilities.  The video inspires inclusion of all people in sacramental preparation, liturgical ministries, and community building because everyone is loved and needed in the Church. Video produced by the National Catholic Partnership on Disability for the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. 

For people with visual impairment: 

Materials provided at no charge in braille, large print and audio: ​Free access to over 1,400 titles related to the Catholic Church, religion, spiritual and inspirational themes in braille and audio. 

Subscription services include monthly readings, prayers and responses for the Sunday Mass and selected Feast Days and Solemnities, as well as periodicals, faith formation textbooks, and workbooks for children and adults in braille.
The mission of the  National Catholic Board on Full Inclusion "is to inspire [Catholic] schools to begin the process of becoming inclusive, to educate teachers, parents, principals and priests on what it takes to be an inclusive school and to provide the educational research and real life experiences that support it."
dedicated to transforming the lives of struggling learners due to vision impairment, dyslexia, or other reasons.
​Includes help for school-related and home reading. 
for ideas and strategies to strength hospitality and support in faith communities. 
Help all children grow as Jesus’s disciples and encourage them to participate authentically in religious education.
Discover strategies from Charleen Katra to successfully include diverse learners in faith formation, especially individuals who have intellectual and/or developmental delays."

The Diocesan Library has these resources available: 

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE LIBRARY MATERIALS 
or call 330 744-8451 ext 297, or email library@youngstowndiocese.org.

AWARD WINNER!

WINNER OF THE AMERICAN BOOK FEST'S BEST BOOK AWARDS FOR EDUCATION/ACADEMIC
The Adaptive Teacher: Faith-based Strategies to Reach and Teach Learners with Disabilities
by John E. Barone & Charleen Katra
Loyola Press, 2019
Provides the tools to:
foster a welcoming environment for everyone; understand the specific needs of learners with disabilities; adapt your teaching approach for the benefit of all; develop effective communication strategies; help learners build confidence, independence, and ownership.

Different Gifts, Same Spirit: Creating an Inclusive Learning Community
by Peg Bowman
​Loyola Press, 2018
​This 30-page resource contains lesson plans, reproducibles, and family pages for program directors, catechists, and parents to teach children to practice inclusion in their classrooms as well as in their homes and communities. 
​A Place for All: Ministry for Youth with Special Needs
by John Barone
​St. Mary's Press, 2008
A guide for religious education for children who have been diagnosed with neurological disorders--autism, Tourette's syndrome, and bipolar disorder--and provides information and advice to become better able to say honestly, "There is a place for all in our community!" 
​How to Welcome, Include, and Catechize Children with Autism and other Special Needs
by Lawrence R. Sutton
Loyola Press, 2013
A guide for creating a program that connects children who have special needs with faith mentors, providing catechesis using existing resources, and enriching the faith of the entire parish. 
​Handbook for Adaptive Catechesis: Serving Those with Special Needs
by Michele E. Chronister
Liguori Publications, 2012
Covers a variety of the most-encountered special needs, along with approaches for meeting those needs. The author discusses strategies for having fruitful dialogues with parents, and for recognizing and nurturing the gifts all children bring to their parish communities. 
Faith, Family, and Children with Special Needs: How Catholic Parents and Their Kids with Special Needs Can Develop a Richer Spiritual Life
by David Rizzo
​Loyola Press, 2012
A parent of a child with autism thoughtfully explains the difficult situations that parents of special needs children face during Mass, sacramental preparation, and faith formation. He gives practical tips for nurturing faith growth. 
Salt and Light : Church, Disability, and the Blessing of Welcome for All
by Maureen Pratt
​Twenty-Third Publications, 2018
Sets out pastoral guidelines and practical steps covering evangelization, catechesis, participation, privacy issues, spiritual vocations, and more to benefit both persons with disabilities and the rest of the parish community. 

Read a brief excerpt from this book at Catechist Journey HERE. 
Opening Doors of Welcome and Justice to Parishioners with Disabilities :
A Parish Resource Guide
​from the USCCB is available in the Library.
CLICK HERE to reserve it from the Library, or you can order it from the USCCB.
It contains practical guidelines and suggestions including:
* Frequently Asked Questions 
* Signs of an Open-Door Parish: Checklist for Evaluating Parish Efforts in Welcoming Parishioners with Disabilities
* Guidelines for Extending Hospitality
* Ideas for Liturgists and Prayer Leaders
* Ideas for Schools, Religious Education, and Youth Programs
* Bulletin Quotes and Articles
Spiritually Able: A Parent's Guide to Teaching the Faith to Children with Special Needs 
by David Rizzo, Mercedes McBride Rizzo
​Loyola Press, 2012
​Both memoir and manual, Spiritually Able: A Parent’s Guide to Teaching the Faith to Children with Special Needs is a life-preserver to parents who are seeking ways to grow and nourish a deeper relationship to God and their faith for their child.
How to Talk to Children about People with Disabilities
Charleen Katra
Twenty-Third Publications, 2019
​This 23-page booklet guides parents and catechists to help children learn how the words we use, the looks we give, the food, clothing, and shelter we share are all important in reaching out to others, especially the most vulnerable among us. 

The Library has available adaptive materials from Loyola Press for sacramental preparation and prayer.  

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE LIBRARY MATERIALS 
or call 330 744-8451 ext 297, or email library@youngstowndiocese.org.
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