• Educational resources for children with disabilities
• How to help children with autism
• Augmentative Communication
• Addressing Challenging Behavior in a Positive Way
• Effective Teaching Strategies to Help Children with Learning Disabilities
• iPhone, iPod, and iPad Applications for those with disabilities

• Gospel Light  Special Needs Smart Pages– Advice, Answers and Articles About Teaching Children with Special Needs
• Process Map for Starting a Disability Ministry- Joni and Friends– A road map to help navigate a new Disability Ministry as well as expanding an existing ministry.
• Autism and Your Church, Barbara J. Newman- Nuturing the Spiritual Growth of Peole with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  This book will help your church welcome people with autism into the life of your parish community.
• Adaptive First Eucharist Preparation Kit – For Children with Autism and Other Special Needs, Loyola Press

• Santa Teresa Catholic Church
  794 Calero Ave, San Jose, CA 95123
• Contact:  Aurora Calub (408) 629-7777 EX 16

Great strides have been made thanks to the issuance of the Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities in 1978 and passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Most parishes are, for the most part, in compliance with these directives except for those projects requiring major capital investment or renovation. The goal in all cases is to ensure that the parishioner with a disability has an equivalent (if not identical) experience as all other parishioners without being detached from the body of parishioners.  The mission of the committeeis to assist parishes as they encourage all to share their gifts in ministry. It is ready to help discover problem areas, adopt creative, cost-effective solutions, and identify resources to achieve the necessary accommodations.

A review of the survey can help pinpoint some barriers to  physical access. Of equal importance is awareness of attitudinal barriers, that is, failing to see the world from the perspective of person who is limited due to mobility, hearing, or visual issues. Soliciting the participation, insight, and counsel of those most affected is a vital first-step toward overcoming both physical and attitudinal obstacles that keep people from full participation in parish life. Their perspective will frequently provide solutions that others did not see.

Guiding Principles & Strategies for Inclusion in the Liturgy of Catholics with Disabilities is a recommended resource. These, with the accompanying survey, can give each parish a start in determining how it does, in fact, include people with disabilities into parish life and what improvements can be made in order to offer the fullness of our Catholic faith to more of our brothers and sisters.

Awakenings Articles in the Valley Catholic

The Valley Catholic has printed articles written by parishioners in the diocese to raise awareness and  help make the parish community a more welcoming and inclusive place of worship. Follow the links for the following articles:

• Santa Teresa Parish welcomes hearing impaired youth in faith formation program
• For all Awakenings articles in past editions of the Valley Catholic