Transcript New Partnerships, New Vitality

The Bishops’ Pastoral Statement
on People with Disabilities at 30:
Bright Past, Bold Future
NCPD Webinar
August 13, 2008
Janice L. Benton
Executive Director
National Catholic Partnership on Disability
Bishops’ Pastoral Statement
• Road to new opportunities
Legacy Partners
• Cardinal Stritch College
• CUSA www.cusan.org
• Victorious Missionaries
www.vmusa.org
• National Apostolate for
Inclusion Ministry
www.nafim.org
Sr. Rita Baum
Dorothy Coughlin
• National Catholic Office for the
Deaf www.ncod.org
• USCC Advisory Committee on
People with Disabilities
Dr. Dave Byers
Rev. Dave Walsh
The Pastoral Statement…
• Prophetic…
• Groundbreaking…
• Inspirational…
• Our
Declaration
of Independence
Pastoral
Influences ADA
Impacting Federal Legislation
It is not enough merely to affirm the rights of people with
disabilities. We must actively work to realize these rights
in the fabric of modern society.
(Pastoral, 10 & 11)
The Pastoral Calls Us to
A-C-T
A ffirm
C hallenge
T ransform
The Pastoral… Affirms
• Dignity of all people
• Responsibility to
respond with love
• Giftedness
• Early pioneers
• Devoted parents
• WE ARE ONE FLOCK
The Pastoral… Challenges
• Embrace responsibility
• Deepen understanding
of pain & potential
• Act with justice and
compassion
• Address need to integration &
full participation
• EXAMINE ATTITUDES
The Pastoral… Transforms
Disabilities are the normal, anticipated
outcomes of the risks, stresses and
strains of the living process.
(NCPD—Mary Jane Owen)
In other words,
disabilities are a normal
part of life, touching
everyone regardless of
age, race, or culture.
The Pastoral…Transforms
• Ensures that nothing
is impeding access
• Calls to service
Colleen Ruppert
Larry Thompson
The Pastoral… Transforms
•Universal Design
•Catholic schools
•Defending life
•Increasing range of
disabilities
Trends
• Disability experience is ever new
• Scarce resources call for creativity
• Changing face of the US Church
• Reexamine attitudes
• We are a community
• Share the message
ACT on the
Vision of the Pastoral
• Sincerely Affirm as often as
you can.
• Challenge yourself to ongoing
growth and introspection.
• Be ever mindful that a
Transformative ministry is
always evaluating, evolving,
modifying, and moving forward.