DISABILITY MILESTONES 5.............

The next set of milestones in the establishing of Disability Ministry in Catholic Church are :

1992 - The Vatican hosts an International Conference on Disability; National Catholic Partnership on Disability NCPD Executive Director Mary Jane Owen, a featured Speaker.
1995 - Guidelines for Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities approved by the U.S. Bishops.
1996 - Two major curricula resources are published through funding from the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation; The Rose Kennedy Curriculum developed by the Diocese of Pittsburgh and distributed by RCL Benziger (3,000 persons in 80 dioceses were trained by Grace Harding on use of the curriculum, and it was translated into Spanish under the guidance of Mary Brosseau of the Diocese of Orange) and series of four publications on Sacramental Preparation; Individualizing Lesson Plans was developed by Marilyn Bishop and Mary Pat Carter and distributed through the University of Dayton.
1998 -Welcome And Justice : A Framework For Access And Inclusion, approved by the U.S. Bishops.
2000 - The Vatican proclaimed a Jubilee Day for Persons with Disabilities celebrated throughout the World on December 3.
2005 - University of Dayton Institute for Pastoral Initiatives launches an online course on Ministry with People with Disabilities.

The sensitivity and awareness that Catholic-Christians with Disabilities deserve to be accessibly, inclusively welcomed and ministered to is continuing to emerge and take root among the People of God in the United States and internationally; and yet we still have so much further to go in making the Disabled a foremost priority in Dioceses, Parishes, and Ministries.............fr.tdp