As part of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability's (NCPD) Making Parishes Everyone’s Home program, NCPD seeks to implement best practices that address the needs of persons with disabilities through training, mentorship, and resource development.
In spring 2024, parishes across the nation were selected to participate in the first stage of this pastoral initiative by taking a national survey, with follow up interviews, conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University. The survey results are helping NCPD gain a better understanding of parish disability awareness and practices across the United States.
NCPD is utilizing the survey results to develop two primary initiatives in years to come. 1) A Parish Mentorship Initiative starting in the fall of 2024. This initiative will be an opportunity for teams of parish and diocesan leaders from different areas of the country to work together for two years to advance disability support in their respective locations. 2) A national conference in 2025 that will address a wide range of disability needs in parishes and dioceses across the United States.
The full report of results from CARA is available below.
NCPD held two online meetings to share the results of the survey. A recording of the second is available below.