1. Better Together: Erik Carter
Institute on Disability and Theology
Inclusive Congregations Summer 2012

2. What exactly do we mean by an “inclusive
congregation” or “inclusive religious education”?
What are the markers or indicators of a “welcoming
congregation”?
For anyone?
For people with particular disabilities?
For their families?
What supports are needed to start or sustain this?
Are these even the right questions to pose?

3. Before Contemporary Special Education
1975
• 1 million children with disabilities
excluded entirely from public school
• Almost 4 million children with disabilities
not receiving appropriate educational
services
• Related services rarely provided
• Disabilities go undetected resulting in
unsuccessful education experiences
• Services often had to be found outside of
system, at families expense

4. Some Influential Factors In Public Schools
Parent
Advocacy
Professional Self-
Advocacy Advocacy
Current
Practices
Legislation Research
Litigation

5. A National Picture of Inclusive Education
Same Classrooms
Both Classrooms
Mostly Separate
5% Different School or Facility
18%
53%
24%

6. of 1975, this chapter has been successful in ensuring children with disabilities and the families of
such children access to a free appropriate public education and in improving educational results
for children with disabilities.
Inclusion in the Public Schools
(4) However, the implementation of this chapter has been impeded by low expectations, and an
insufficient focus on applying replicable research on proven methods of teaching and learning for
children with disabilities.
(5) Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children
with disabilities can be made more effective by—
(A) having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general
education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible, in order to—
(i) meet developmental goals and, to the maximum extent possible, the challenging
expectations that have been established for all children; and
(ii) be prepared to lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent
possible; PUBLIC LAW 108–446—DEC. 3, 2004 118 STAT. 2647
(B) strengthening the role and responsibility of parents and ensuring that families of such
Public Law 108–446
children have meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at
108th Congress
An Act
To reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and for other pur-
poses.
Dec. 3, 2004
[H.R. 1350]
school and at home; Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Individuals with Disabilities
Individuals with
Disabilities
Education
Improvement Act
of 2004.
Education Improvement Act of 2004’’. 20 USC 1400
note.
SEC. 2. ORGANIZATION OF THE ACT.
(C) coordinating this chapter with other local, educational service agency, State, and
This Act is organized into the following titles:
Title I—Amendments to the Individuals With Disabilities
Education Act.
Title II—National Center for Special Education Research.
Title III—Miscellaneous Provisions.
Federal school improvement efforts, including improvement efforts under the Elementary and
TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO THE INDI-
VIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDU-
CATION ACT
Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.], in order to ensure that such children
SEC. 101. AMENDMENTS TO THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDU-
CATION ACT.
Parts A through D of the Individuals with Disabilities Edu-
cation Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) are amended to read as follows:
benefit from such efforts and that special education can become a service for such children
‘‘PART A—GENERAL PROVISIONS
‘‘SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS; FINDINGS; PURPOSES.
‘‘(a) SHORT TITLE.—This title may be cited as the ‘Individuals
20 USC 1400.
with Disabilities Education Act’.
rather than a place where such children are sent; ‘‘(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this title
is as follows:
‘‘Sec.
‘‘Sec.
601.
602.
‘‘PART A—GENERAL PROVISIONS
Short title; table of contents; findings; purposes.
Definitions.
‘‘Sec. 603. Office of Special Education Programs.
‘‘Sec. 604. Abrogation of State sovereign immunity.
‘‘Sec. 605. Acquisition of equipment; construction or alteration of facilities.
‘‘Sec. 606. Employment of individuals with disabilities.
‘‘Sec. 607. Requirements for prescribing regulations.
‘‘Sec. 608. State administration.
‘‘Sec. 609. Paperwork reduction.
‘‘Sec. 610. Freely associated states.

7. Is Inclusive Education Possible?
“Yet, for every student who
remains educationally segregated there
are other students with similar attributes,
abilities, and needs who are successfully included.
This simple fact suggests that whether a student
with a disability is meaningfully included may have
less to do with his or her characteristics and more to
do with the attitudes, skills, structure, and
practices of the adults responsible for
providing education.”
Michael Giangreco

8. Important Elements of
Are These Relevant in the Church?
Inclusion In Schools

9. Some Important Elements
1.Presence
2.Shared space (least restrictive environment)
3.Natural proportions (age-appropriate programs)
4.Universal design principles (accessibility)
5.One person at a time (individualized planning)
6.Partial participation
7.Natural supports
8.Connections and relationships with peers (shared activities)
9.Valued roles
10.Prepared, committed, and caring educators
11.Parents as partners
12.Leaders communicating a compelling vision

10. 1. Presence

11. Are We Reaching All of Our Community?
Temporarily Without Disabilities
100% With Disabilities
90%
80%
70%
60% ?
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Your Community Your Congregation

12. Children and Youth with Disabilities
Learning Disabilities
Speech/language Impairments
Intellectual Disability
9% Emotional/behavioral Disorder
8% Other Health Impairment
Other Disabilities
8%
47%
10%
19%

13. Are Invitations Being
Extended?

14. Is Everyone Invited?
• Passive Invitations
• Active Invitations
• Personal Invitations
• But, are Invitations Actually
Received?

15. Is Everyone Invited?
• Passive Invitations
• Active Invitations
• Personal Invitations
• But, are Invitations Actually
Received?

17. Access Symbols
Access for Individuals Who Symbol Audio Telephone
Are Blind or Have Low for Accessibility Description Typewriter (TTY)
Vision
Volume Assistive Listening Sign Language Accessible
Control Telephone Systems Interpretation Print
Information Closed Opened Braille
Symbol Captioning Captioning Symbol
www.graphicartistsguild.org/resources/disability-access-symbols/

18. www.woodlawnunited.ca

19. http://www.interfaithdisability.org/worshiplink.php

20. http://www.interfaithdisability.org/worshiplink.php

21. http://www.interfaithdisability.org/worshiplink.php

23. Active Invitations
• Visit or share information with...
• Independent living centers
• Group homes
• Parent support groups
• Residential facilities and
nursing homes

24. 2. Shared Space “Least Restrictive Environment”

25. 3. “Natural” Proportions
Age-Appropriate Activities

26. 4. Universal Design

27. Accessibility Checklists
• Through the Roof Accessibility Checklist
www.throughtheroof.com
• Congregational Assessment Survey
www.accessibilitynetwork.net
• Congregational Audit of Disability
Accessibility and Inclusion
www.pcusa.org/phewa/pdc.htm
• Accessibility Audit Guide
www.crcna.org/pages/disability.cfm
• Signs of an Open Door Parish
www.ncpd.org

28. Other Aspects of Accessibility
• Chemical sensitivities
• Scent-free area
• Food-free zones
• Gluten-free bread and juice
• Shush-free zone

29. 5. One Person at a Time Individualized Planning

30. Potential Questions for Parents/Family Members
• In what ways would you like to see your child involved in this congregation?
• What has been your child’s previous experience in other congregations?
• Tell us about your child.
• What does she enjoy doing? Not enjoy doing?
• What are her gifts and talents? What does she do well? What does she
love to “show off”?
• How does she communicate with others? How does she express
excitement? Frustration?
• Tell us about your family.
• Tell us about your child’s disability. How might her disability affect her
involvement in congregational activities?
• How can we best support the positive behavior of your child?
• Are there things we should definitely avoid doing or saying?
• Are there things we should absolutely do?
• What does she find most rewarding?
• What is the best way to respond when your child becomes upset?

31. Potential Questions for Parents/Family Members
• How would you describe your child’s faith? What are the best ways to
communicate spiritual truths?
• Are there important goals that you have for your child as she participates
in our program this year? As you look into the future?
• What could we do to make our children’s program the most exciting time
of the week for your child?
• How would you like us to respond when other children or adults ask us
about your child’s disability?
• What do you see as the biggest challenges to including your child in
congregational activities?
• How can our congregation help support your family as you raise your
child? Can we _________ [offer specific examples]?
• Is there anything else that you would like us to know about your child or
family?

32. One Example Support RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMS
DESIGNING INCLUSIVE Plan 101
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PLAN FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
I. Overview
We are excited that your child will be involved in our programs! We would like to
ask you to provide the following information so that we can ensure that our pro-
grams meet the needs of your child.
Date:
Name: Date of birth:
Parents/Caregiver:
Address:
Telephone: E-mail:
If absolutely necessary, where can we find you during the time we are with your
child?
K Main sanctuary K Classroom: K Other:
What are some things that your child really enjoys doing?

33. How does your child communicate with others?
What types of assistance (if any) will your child need with eating, getting around, or
using the restroom?
What behavioral challenges might we For each challenge, what are some
encounter when interacting with your strategies for responding that seem
child (if any)? to work well?
• •
• •
• •
• •

34. 6. Partial Participation

35. 7. Natural Supports

36. 8. Connections to Peers

37. 9. Valued Roles

38. 10. Prepared, Committed,
and Caring Educators

39. 11. Parents as Partners

40. 12. Vision of Leaders

41. Inclusion Awareness Events
www.throughtheroof.org www.pcusa.org/phewa www.inclusioninworship.org
www.joniandfriends.org www.crcna.org/pages/disability www.blhs.org

42. Yet Another Framework

43. Ministry Apart From
Ministry To
Ministry Among
Ministry With
Ministry By

44. “four simple questions”
• What are we doing well right now?
• What could we be doing better?
• What could we be doing differently?
• What can we begin doing right now to get us started
moving toward our goals/vision?
Forest & Pearpoint (1997)
www.fsrcdane.net/library/docs/FOURQUES.DOC

45. For More Information...
Carter, E. W. (2007).
Including people with
disabilities in faith
communities: A guide for
service providers, families,
and congregations.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H.
Brookes.