Diversified Learners Resources

USCCB: Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities

The Body of Christ is called to be a faithful witness to the Gospel, with each member having a crucial personal mission. To this end, the Catholic bishops have revised and expanded their Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities to help assure that people with disabilities are able to participate in the sacramental life of the Church and share their own gifts as missionary disciples.

Use these guidelines to:

Review how parish and diocesan policies and practices affect persons with physical or intellectual disabilities, especially regarding the reception of the sacraments.

Identify material accommodations that can help parishioners with disabilities be fully engaged in parish sacramental life.

Implement good pastoral policies to form a parish community that supports all its members.

Pastors, parish pastoral staff, and lay volunteers who work in evangelization, catechesis, and sacramental preparation, as well as diocesan staff, will find these guidelines helpful as they continue to work to strengthen their communities.

To order a copy, $4.95, please visit: http://store.usccb.org/sacraments-wi…eid=8472d068a8

Want to become an Inclusive Educator?

University of Notre Dame: Alliance for Catholic Education, Program for Inclusive Education. Please follow our blog at: Being First
Gonzaga University: Memo of Understanding to support the growth of a PreK-12 Teacher Talent pipeline to serve diversified learners, plus opportunities in the Gonzaga School of Education, Undergraduate Programs, Graduate Prog rams, and Certifications and Endorsements.
UW Haring Center: Professional Development opportunities and classes
Think Inclusive and Inclusive Resources
High School Student Support Program Options

Research Data

2017 NCEA- Exceptional Learners White Paper
October 2017 – Providing Access for Students with Moderate Disabilities: An Evaluation of a Professional Development Program at a Catholic Elementary School; Journal of Catholic Education. Providing Access Study – 2017.pdf
NCEA Disabilities Infographics – NCEA Disabilities Infographic – Called to Inclusion
ACE Consulting, University of Notre Dame “Toolkit for Inclusion” 180 pages -Excellent starting point!
RECOMMENDED BOOKREAD from the DLC: Ensuring a Place at the Table. Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D. 2018. “Our Catholic schools are tables. Some are invited to sit at the table and others are not. Sometimes when those with disabilities are invited, they are only invited to the kids table not into full participation at the big table. It is not enough just to be invited, as some small token; we must work to ensure that all have a place at the same table. The verbs ensure was chosen specifically it is active indicated Catholic schools cannot just invite those with disabilities but include those individuals. Topics include, building a strong foundation, classroom level knowledge and skills, school level leadership and mission, policies, procedures and protocols needed, and diocesan level systems and supports.”

KEY PARTNER: Special Olympics of Washington
The Archdiocese of Seattle and the Office for Catholic Schools supported the 2018 Special Olympics in Seattle. To continue this involvement in our schools we recommend service and extra-curricular opportunities provided by Special Olympics Playbooks intended for elementary, middle school and high school students. These are age-appropriate lessons designed to be taught in the context of class periods. Activities with ties to service learning are completed in a classroom or community setting, as part of a club, an afterschool activity (ie: Unified Drama, Unified Robotics) or a community based event and include involvement with local Special Olympics Programs. The curriculum is free; please log in to establish your account and use generously.

Resources for Catholic School Teachers