Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities: A Guide for Service Providers, Families, and Congregations - Softcover

Erik W. Carter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1557667438 ISBN 13: 9781557667434

Publisher: Brookes Publishing, 2007

Synopsis

A congregational community is an ideal place to share and strengthen faith, form lasting relationships, and develop special gifts and talents. Too often, though, people with developmental and other disabilities lack the opportunities and supports to fully participate in the life of their faith community. That’s why families and service providers need to read this groundbreaking guidebook—and share a copy with congregations that want to become places of welcome and belonging for people with disabilities.

Bringing his practical ideas to life with anecdotes, quotes, and examples of successful strategies, Erik Carter helps readers

• reflect on how welcoming their congregation is—and could be—for people with disabilities and their families



• articulate and pursue a bold vision of inclusion throughout their congregation, community, city, or state



• take steps to break down attitudinal, architectural, programmatic, and other barriers to inclusion


design appropriate, inclusive religious education programs for children, youth, and adults


• learn how service providers can actively support the spiritual preferences, strengths, and needs of people with disabilities

To make inclusion work in any faith community, this how-to book gives readers workable strategies and photocopiable forms for identifying “indicators of welcome,� encouraging community outreach, and gathering important information about the support needs of people with disabilities and their families.

About this title

About the Author

Erik Carter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed his graduate work in the area of severe disabilities at Vanderbilt University and his undergraduate work at Wheaton College. His research and teaching focuses on strategies for supporting meaningful school inclusion and promoting valued roles in school, work, and community settings for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has co-authored five books, one of which is Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities: A Guide for Service Providers, Families, and Congregations (Brookes Publishing). He has co-authored more than 100 articles and book chapters and was the recipient of the Distinguished Early Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children, the Early Career Award from the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the Patricia Sitlington Research Award from the Division on Career Development and Transition. 

Edition details

• Publisher: Brookes Publishing
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1557667438
• ISBN 13: 9781557667434
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264