Resources for Developmentally Disabled Individuals

Please Note:
By clicking on the links below, you will be leaving the official site for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. This link is provided soley for the user's convenience. By providing these links, the Catholic Diocese of Dallas assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or sponsoring organizations.

National Organizations

National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities (NCPD)

National Apostolate for Inclusion Ministry (NAfIM)
Mission: People who have developed programs with the disabled

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Mission: Approaches to Adult Faith Formation/Adults with Cognitive Disabilities or mental retardation

St. Coletta of Wisconsin, Jefferson, WI
This is the facility in which Rosemary Kennedy lived.
Mission: Pastoral Team does ministry & catechesis with Disabled Adults

Notre Dame Special School, Dallas, TX (Up to 21 years of age)
Sr. Maureen Mueller 214-330-6623 (please call before 8 p.m.)
Adapt Children’s Formation materials:Use large print, easy reading Bibles; Role play; Music; Quizzes; Videos

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Program to Improve Religious Education for Children and Adults with Mental Retardation
Includes Lesson Plans for Catechesis which could be adapted into Scripture studies
Can be reviewed at the Diocesan Media Center
Can be purchased from Silver Burdett Ginn/Pearson Ed.

Diocesan Programs

Diocese of Chicago
Phone: 312-842-1039
SPRED: Small Faith communities which welcome the disabled

Diocese of Pittsburgh
Ministry for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism
Director: Grace Harding
This is where the Rose Kennedy Curriculum was first implemented

Other Resources

“Journey With Jesus”
Written Resource
Available at: Cardinal Stritch University Bookstore
Phone: 414-410-4035

“Exceptional Teaching”
Recommended by Sr. Maureen Mueller, Notre Dame Special School
Phone: 214-330-6623

"Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" video
Pathways Awareness Foundation
123 N. Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
1-800-955-2445, http://www.pathwaysawareness.org/

National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD)
Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities , 1/17/02.
NCPD, McCormick Pavilion
415 Michigan Ave. NE, Suite 240
Washington, DC 20017-1557
http://www.ncpd.org/

World Library Publications
3825 N. Willow Rd.
Schiller Park, IL 60176
1-800-566-6150
Let Us Celebrate
Bilingual Missalette subscription can be ordered in large print. $3.05 per year, published quarterly. They send first 25 large print books free of charge.

Xavier Society for the Blind
154 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
800-637-9193 (Toll free)
212-473-7800
212-473-7801 (Fax)
www.xaviersociety.com

The Xavier Society houses the oldest and largest Catholic library in English for the Blind, with over 1,500 titles of spiritual and inspirational materials available in Braille, large-print and audio formats. More new books are being added on a regular basis, and the selections include materials for children of all ages.

University of Dallas
Market Research 7379, Project #1766
November 2001
Survey for Catholic Diocese of Dallas

Americans with Disabilities Act
An overview by Texas Young Lawyers Assoc.
1990. Advocacy, Inc.
Austin, TX 78787
1-800-223-4206

National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities
"Opening Doors"
Chapter 6, Sec. B
NCPD http://www.ncpd.org/

Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc.
9461 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75243-4537
214-520-6590
Brochure will list agencies
http://www.catholiccharitiesdallas.org

U.S. Government Agencies & Contractors Serving Persons with Disabilities

"Opening Doors"
Chapter 6, Sec F. B.2
NCPD http://www.ncpd.org/

Meals on Wheels
VNA, Dallas County
214-689-0639

Research your city services.
Many cities provide handbooks on community services.

Respite Care
Respite care relieves a caregiver for a short period of time. Respite care in the Diocese of Dallas is sponsored by the Dallas Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, affiliated with the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW). Council personnel will train members of your parish to be respite caregivers.
Contact Rose Harder at 972-239-5912 or Margie Medlin at 972-239-9747.