May 19, 2003

BIRMINGHAM, AL — “A Place for All – A Curriculum Guide for Inclusion of People With Disabilities in Faith Communities,” is new material developed specifically for places of worship by the Civitan International Research Center at UAB and the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities (ACDD). “It’s designed to help religious educators incorporate inclusion awareness and practices into their classrooms,” said Ellen Dossett, Ph.D., program director with the Civitan Center.

The guide, produced in English, Spanish and Braille, is not religious in nature. “The material focuses on defining terms, such as disability and inclusion, and outlining basic inclusion principles, such as the proper way to address someone who has a disability and how to create an accessible environment for people with disabilities,” Dossett said.

Geared more for religious education teachers of younger children and adolescents, the guide also includes suggested classroom activities, such as having students role play meeting and interacting with someone who has a disability. "We are most afraid of what we don't know," Dossett said. "The guide is intended to teach children that people with disabilities aren’t ‘special;’ they are people, like you and me, who want to be included in things we do.”

Although designed for use by religious education teachers, the guide is available free of charge to anyone. “Schools are mandated by federal law to afford all students inclusion, so we felt the materials would be of greater use and benefit to places of faith,” Dossett said.

The curriculum guide is part of the “Meet Your Neighbor” project, a three-year initiative funded by the Civitan Center and ACDD to create awareness and promote inclusion of people with disabilities in day-to-day activities. “The first year focused on creating a logo and promotional materials that were distributed statewide,” Dossett said. “Last year, we produced the ‘Meet Your Neighbor’ video featuring people with disabilities at home, work, school and play. It was distributed to Alabama businesses, community organizations, schools and libraries and has been very well received.”

For a free copy of “A Place for All — A Curriculum Guide for Inclusion of People With Disabilities in Faith Communities,” contact Vicki Coffey with the Civitan Center at vcoffey@uab.edu or (205) 934-2965.