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Accessible DeSign

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Click above to watch an episode of our Being Pro-Life Video Series about Accessible Design.

What is Accessible design?

Accessible Design is the process of creating or modifying an environment so that is can be welcoming to all people. We are called through our Catholic faith to reach out to all of God’s children and to create an environment that is accessible to people of all abilities. The importance of thoughtful and careful planning for any ministry cannot be overemphasized. Planning should likewise be approached with creativity and openness.

Lamb Assessment

We are called to follow the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, reaching out so that all feel welcomed, valued and affirmed. Expertise is not needed. All that is necessary is the will to meet each person, get to know him or her, and form a relationship. To do this it is important to consider various forms of communication, various ways of moving in spaces, various ways of participating, and various ways to nurture an environment of belonging. Four attributes of thriving communities that foster spiritual growth for all are Language, Accessibility, Meaningful Participation, and Belonging (LAMB).

What is the LAMB Assessment?

Created by the NCPD Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CIDD), the LAMB Assessment Tool is an evaluation used to support thriving communities that foster spiritual growth for all by guiding the development and evaluation of programs, materials and/ or other resources for use in the Church, relative to accessibility or usability for all persons.

How can my parish utilize the LAMB Assessment?

This checklist provides examples of considerations within the four categories of LAMB: Language, Accessibility, Meaningful Participation and Belonging. It is intended to help you assess resources and programs you are considering using in your parish for such needs as: catechetical and faith formation materials, parish development, small Christian communities, worship aides, environmental assessment, etc. It can also help you assess the inclusiveness of your liturgies and general parish dynamics. Some items may be more appropriate for assessing a resource or program, while others may be more appropriate for reflecting on liturgies or your parish community in general. We hope it will also help you to better understand each of the attributes.

LAMB Assessment Downloads

Click the file below to download the LAMB ASSESSMENT in English or Spanish. If you would like any assistance with your assessment, please contact our office at (937)281-4128 or email us at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.

LAMB Assessment

Title	Description	Hits	Date added	Download
LAMB Spanish Final		896	06-03-2020	Download Preview
LAMB English Final		965	06-03-2020	Download Preview

Survey of Needs

PLEASE HELP US SERVE YOU BETTER!

All people who are baptized are called to full and active participation in the life of the church, particularly at the parish level. In a continued effort to encourage this, we would like to reach out to people with special needs and/or disabilities. It would help us to do this better if you tell us what kind of help you need.

Please select any of the following issues preventing - you, a family member, or someone you know from regular participation.
- Need for adaptive religious education
- need for sacramental preparation for people with cognitive or sensory disabilities
- need for accessibility to church building or other parish facility for Mass, meetings, classes, or social events
- need for restrooms to be equipped for people with disabilities
- need for accommodations for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or visually impaired (i.e. interpreter, Braille,…)
- need for access to participate in parish ministerial roles
The person referenced is a:*
Please share any other relevant information that would help to improve your ability to participate within your parish.
Please share any ways that your parish is already working to meet your needs.
Name
First Last
Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Phone
Email
May we contact you with questions and information regarding ministry with persons with disabilities?*
- Yes
- No
What is the best way to reach you?*
What is the best time of day to contact you?*

Some of the content on this page was written by the National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities: www.ncpd.org and the Diocese of Newark.

Contact Us:

Bob Wurzelbacher

Office Director

(513)263-6674

Lisa Averion

Associate Director

(937)281-4128