Local women on national Catholic disability board

Intermountain Catholic

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Carol Ruddell signs during the 2010 Catholics Can Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine as Cindy Vega proclaims the reading from Braille.

SALT LAKE CITY — Debbie Adams and Carol Ruddell represent Utah and the Diocese of Salt Lake City on the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) board. Adams will complete her six-year term in November and Ruddell started her three-year term in May.

"I have always felt called to do something with people with disabilities in my personal life, my faith life and my work life," said Ruddell. "That is one calling I never questioned. It’s an honor to be on the board to learn more and to also use my talents in a way that I can impact people in the Church."

NCPD’s ministry is to serve the needs of Catholics of all ages with all disabilities throughout the United States.

"Our board of directors helps set its strategic direction as well as oversee the operations of the organization," said Executive Director Jan Benton. "Board members serve three-year terms and are eligible to serve up to six years."

Debbie Adams has been a wonderful board member with a lot of insight, said Benton. "Board members serve on various committees and Debbie has worked with me on an access manual for Catholic Church facilities. She is an architect and also a wheelchair user, so she brings her personal experience to the needs of church facility access. Our concerns are for anything that helps a person with a disability participate meaningfully in their parish communities and life of faith.

"We are looking forward to Carol’s service with her longstanding works in serving people with disabilities in the State of Utah as well as with the Diocesan Commission for People with Disabilities in Salt Lake City," Benton added. "One thing we are excited about is her background in employment and people with disabilities. We think she will bring guidance and ideas about ways to encourage the Church and Catholic business people in their roles as employers to consider hiring people with disabilities. She was also interested in mental health and she will serve on the mission committee, where she will help the organization stay focused on the strategic plan and mission."

Ruddell works for the Department of Health as a project director for Work Ability Utah. "It’s a multi-agency federally funded project that promotes employment in health care for people with disabilities," said Ruddell. "One of the strengths I bring is talking to Catholic-owned businesses or institutions such as hospitals and universities about hiring people with disabilities. I currently work with businesses helping people with disabilities be prepared for work."

Ruddell has known about NCPD since it began in the early 1980s through her involvement with her parish and diocese growing up in Kentucky. "I received a Catholic education and also was involved with Girl Scouts working with deaf children at day camp," she said. "That prompted me to want to learn sign language. The first sign language classes I took were from the priest who did deaf ministries for the Archdiocese of Louisville."

In high school, Ruddell volunteered five hours a day for a service project for a quarter of the school year. "I worked with deaf and hard-of-hearing students at a public school, and have been doing this ever since. I was a teacher for deaf and hard of hearing students for 22 years in five states.

"I think the NCPD really strives to be a resource for the parishes and dioceses," Ruddell said.

The NCPD board of directors includes a cross-section of the Church including cardinals, bishops, diocesan directors of disability ministries, people with disabilities and family members, pastoral workers and other concerned individuals. The NCPD was formed to help implement the 35 items listed in the USCCB statement established in November 1978. For more information, visit ncpd.org.