Honorary Graduate 2018 – Sarah Gordy – Doctor of Laws

St. Elizabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus: The Festive Play in the Boarding Home for People with Special Needs

The patients who live in the Boarding Home No.3 for the mentally challenged in Novinki consider Thursdays and Fridays special. These are the days when the Convent comes to them. Our sisters sing the Akathist in the Boarding Home every Thursday and celebrate the Divine Liturgy every Friday.  . . . .

Human interaction makes people happy. Many people can communicate simultaneously via theatrical performances and songs. They can communicate directly, face-to-face, too. It’s great to have someone who can listen to what you have to say. You suddenly realize that there is someone who cares about you.

And there are plays:

To access: 

https://blog.obitel-minsk.com/2019/01/the-festive-play-in-the-boarding-home-for-people-with-special-needs.html

 

The Mighty: Supporting the Limitless Potential of People With Down Syndrome

by Padgett Mozingo, Lila’s Mom. 

Now we all have limits. But the potential of people with Down Syndrome is often unnecessarily limited by  others who decide beforehand that this child, this person, could not possibly do this, or that, or whatever dream or interest the person himself may have. Some of these other people in their lives may be well-meaning but over-protective. Others might see the extra effort required to help the down syndrome person reach their goal, and decide that it would require too much time, with too much of a risk of failure, and bail out on the venture. But not Lila’s family. Read their story:

The Mighty: Supporting the Limitless Potential of People With Down Syndrome

The family has launched a movement to dispel the myths about Down Syndrome. Here is their website:

Limitless Purpose  Also: Lila’s Story

 

An Orthodox Church Made Accessible

All Saints of North America

 

From All Saints Orthodox Church, Salisbury, Connecticut:

New Sidewalks at All Saints of America The week of June 14-19 [2010] saw the ripping up of our old sidewalk, and the pouring of new sidewalks to the handicapp ramp and all the way to the restroom. (27 images)

Access the slideshow via the following web address:

Installing the Sidewalks at All Saints Orthodox Christian Church

More All Saints web pages:

Parish Home Page

The explanation of the Icon of the Patron Saints of the Parish

More photos from All Saints Orthodox Church

 

Parents Of Child With Down Syndrome Design Toys Promoting Inclusivity

Olivia & Mayra & Roberto Contreras and the creation of Electric Rose Toys   (a doll for Olivia):

To Access the Story:

From Sun Newspapers and Knock Knock Toys and Gifts: The Parents Of a Child With Down Syndrome Design Toys Promoting Inclusivity: 

See also:

All About Olivia Rose

 

 

 

St. Elizabeth Convent: “Can There Be Enough of Love?”

by Darya Chechko.  With Brother George (Drozd), an educator in this department:

To access the post:

https://blog.obitel-minsk.com/2019/07/can-there-be-enough-of-love-our-ministry-at-special-department-for-children-in-mental-health-hospital.html?fbclid=IwAR1YnPl5B0iRK-8z0CJ_PghrC2sAbJ8FpHgcbzB4TzNbl1FVu3uecV19Q8I

. . . no parents, no families, life in a residential institution in difficult conditions, [in] constant need of something… But at the same time, [the] children are especially alive. Their suffering souls are very responsive. . . . From the human viewpoint, everything is bad because they have nothing, but from God’s [viewpoint] – things are completely different. . . .

a

 

DREDF: Stop Blaming Gun Violence on Mental Illness

from the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund 

To access the article (Stop blaming . . .):

Stop Blaming Gun Violence on Mental Illness

Also:

 

Images of Everyday Life for Persons with Disability

A Picture is worth a thousand words. Ten pictures are worth ten thousand words.

to access:

Not Dead Yet:

Changing Images

On the International Day

of Persons With Disabilities

Orthodox Christian Worship: Experiencing the Mysteries

Our Orthodox Christian worship has been crafted by the Holy Spirit to touch all who come- including those with developmental disabilities whose intellectual capabilities are limited to concrete thinking (and have trouble with abstract reasoning) as well as those who lack certain senses.

Alongside the rich theology of our liturgy there are concrete actions, music, fragrance, icons, and more. There are words relating to everyday life and words that carry one through the Incarnate Christ into the ineffable heavenlies. The Holy Spirit can address the heart through all, or some, or even just one of these modes. The symbols of Orthodox worship- lighting candles, making the sign of the cross, kissing icons, prostration, and the like are enacted by all.

The “spiritual sensuality” of our Divine Liturgy offers mentally retarded persons much to respond to: there is repetition, concreteness, physical contact; the staples of their unique pedagogy (method of learning) inhabits the services.

Two pertinent articles by Father Stephen Plumlee: The Handicapped and Orthodox Worship

 & Some Practical Suggestions for Parish Ministry To People With Special Needs

Even if persons with developmental disability lack the potential to ever reason abstractly, their experience of the Mysteries     

Holy Friday Shroud, By Theodosia_Poulopos, 1598

(Sacraments) can be just as rich as those who can reach that stage. For the Mysteries have Divine depth, and always beckon one forward to greater participation and fuller comprehension of their import. For the experience ultimately transcends conceptualization.

Father John Breck, in “Down Syndrome at Pascha,” in his book “God With Us: Critical Issues in Christian Life and Faith,” describes Marie, a woman who had Down Syndrome, at a Holy Friday service: (pp. 66-67)

She was entirely dressed in black. Her face was streaked with tears, her head was bowed, and her arms hung down at her sides. As she approached the shroud, she slowly made the sign of the cross three times, prostrated herself before it, and for a moment kept her head to the floor. Then she rose, kissed the face and then the feet of Christ, and finally venerated the Bible and the Cross.

See also Children with Special Needs and the Orthodox Christian Family , by Father Steven P. Tsichlis

disabilityscoop

An excellent resource;

disabilityscoop 

a  

“timely and comprehensive”

                               

On Facebook:

disabilityscoop