Faith communities will evaluate their availability to those with disabilities

Intermountain Catholic

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Scott Bonn (front left), Heather Bonn, Trevor Bonn (back right) and Bill Bonn bring forth the gifts at the first Mass recognizing those with disabilities in 2008 at Saint John the Baptist Parish, Draper.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Diocese of Salt Lake City will celebrate Autism, Disabilities and Faith Week with an evening of discussion Monday April 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Saint Ambrose Parish Vaughn Center. April 26 through May 2 was designated by the State Legislature as Autism, Disabilities and Faith Week.

The National Catholic Partnership's outreach committee, Mental Illness Network, has created a DVD "Welcomed and Valued: Catholics with mental illness and their partnership in parish life," which will be shown April 26, followed by a discussion about the Catholic faith and how we welcome and value all people with disabilities including those with mental illnesses.

The legislative resolution establishing the week "was a grassroots effort that included parents and family members of those with disabilities to promote inclusion in faith communities," said Carol Ruddell of the Diocesan Commission for People with Disabilities. "Reality is, public programs can only do so much and faith communities can enhance that. The week will offer a way for faith communities to challenge and evaluate themselves in terms of how open, welcoming and inclusive they are, and hopefully do something that week to make their worship sessions and programs fully accessible to the elderly and those with disabilities."

Ruddell said the faith communities do their best to be accessible, but there are buildings and churches that don't have listening devices or ramps. "So there are a lot of different ways accommodations can be made in a worship space to move forward," she said.

Mickey Adelhardt, a parishioner of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish and Newman Center in Salt Lake City, is almost blind, but she feels welcome in her parish. She has always been involved and even though she is losing her eye sight, she remains active. She helps serve food for the Sunday supper following the 7 p.m. Mass, and is the coordinator for the caring ministry outreach for the bereaved and sick.

"We're all disabled in one way or another," said Adelhardt. "I feel very comfortable here at St. Catherine. This is my second home. We have people who do signing for the deaf. When they built this parish, they had disabled people in mind and built a ramp up to the altar and a ramp up to the outside patio and front door."

Ruddell said Saint Vincent de Paul Parish and Saint Thomas More Parish also have signing for the deaf.

"The National Catholic Partnership has an excellent assessment on their website that places of worship can utilize to evaluate themselves to update their facilities," said Ruddell. "They must look at things as simple as can everyone physically open the doors to get in the building or access the altar in a wheelchair?

"Another question is how do we assist children with disabilities in the Religious Education program?" asked Ruddell. "We have to ask ourselves if we hold events that isolate some or do we hold events that are open and accessible to all? This is just a matter of getting people's attention, and then they say, ‘Of course we need to make changes.' This week will be a time for parishes and places of worship to think twice and make changes."

The night of discussion is free and open to the public. St. Ambrose Parish Vaughn Center is located at 1975 South 2300 East, Salt Lake City. For information, call Dolores Lopez at 801-328-8641, ext. 313.

The National Catholic Partnership website is www.NCP.org.