All Belong Symposium Best Practices Shared:

• Provide food allergy accommodations.
• Integrate stories and values into a homily. o Could we provide homily messages / content?
• Have a Mass specifically for people with special needs.
• “Just be nice”.
• Allow people to share their stories.
• Work with families to help their children participate in the sacraments.
• If you don’t know, ask.
• Tell people their mistakes in a non-accusatory way.
• Educational webinars.
• Provide translators (sign language).
• Have options for inclusive seating in the church.
• Collaborate with neighboring parishes.
• Provide opportunities for people with this special needs to be involved in the mass in the church and in the community.
• Modules in catechism about inclusion.
• Help catechist feel comfortable teaching students with special needs by educating them.
• Reach out to pastors with more experience.
• Understand canon law.
• Invite people who have previously felt unwelcome into the church back and ask them why they left in a non-accusatory way.
• Have accessible buildings.
• Advocate for children of God.
• Make clear the message, “all are welcome”.
• Webinar series for clergy to create understanding and awareness. ~ 5 sessions of 15 minutes each with AOD “best practice” speakers. Each session delivered virtually as a webinar series with each session recorded for replay.
• DRE Webinar series (like clergy series) with topics relevant to DRE’s and “best practice” presenters from the AoD.
• Parents Webinar series (like Clergy series) with relevant topics, delivered online, archived with “who to call” for more information.