Disability and Accessibility

"we have a firm commitment that in Shambhala Society access needs to be provided for seniors and the disabled to all activities, programs, practices, any teachings they would otherwise be able to receive, community events, etc. and this access needs to be as safe, workable, uplifted, and dignified as access is for anyone else."

Resources:

You will need Adobe Acrobat to read the following PDF files

Shambhala Accessibility Statement

The Statement adopted by the Sakyong's Council on 24th October 2005, declaring the View and Practice of accessibility in Shambhala. Highly recommended reading!
Shambhala Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Guidelines for Shambhala Centers

In order to manifest the view and practices in the statement there is a list of guidelines, divided into phases, that centers are asked to use to evaluate the accessibility of their facilities and provides help in coming up viable options for any areas that need more attention. Which order any particular center deals with the phases or aspects of them can be flexible. The ARG will work with centers to determine the best approach given their particular circumstances.
Accessibility Guidelines for Shambhala Center

Accessibility Review Group (ARG) Charter

This is the group that will work with centers, usually the Diversity contact person, in going through the "Accessibility Guidelines for Shambhala Centers" and helping with determining what viable options there might be for any areas that need more attention.
Accessibility Review Group (ARG) Charter

"Karuna Talk is an e-mail group for sangha members interested in taking illness as the path. The list includes people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, health professionals working with people with chronic health problems, teachers and meditation instructors, and other interested members of the Shambhala sangha. The focus is on the development of programs and support services for our community, for people dealing with issues such as isolation, loss of livelihood, stigmatization, depression, and physical pain".
This is a excellent resource, highly, highly, recommended.

Checklist for Barrier Removal

www.adaportal.org

A document made available by the ADA, which can be downloaded from the ADA Document Portal at www.adaportal.org. In the left-hand column under Facility Access. In the "Accessibility Guidelines" this is part of what is suggested that centers use to check the accessibility of their Shambhala Center.

Unitarian Universalist web site "Disability 101:

www.uua.org/programs/idbm/accessibilities/disability.htm. This site is an excellent resource for ways to accommodate and getting more information on: Visual Impairments, Hearing Impairments, Learning Disabilities, Cognitive Impairment, Mobility Impairments, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Psychiatric Disabilities, Invisible Disabilities. It also has links to many additional resources including Disability Etiquette.

Accessible Faith. A Technical Guide for Accessibility in Houses of Worship.

http://www.rrf.org/noteworthy/AccessibleFaith-final.pdf

Retirement Research Foundation congregation's guide to accessibility, edited by sangha member Tom Golz while he was at Inspired Parnterships. Has a great deal of helpful information including "Accessibly Solutions for Houses of Worship", which includes specific designs, etc, for removing physical barriers and information on removing auditory and visual barriers. Also information on organizing, funding and many other related issues.

National Organization on Disability

www.nod.org. Select Religious Participation (left column, near the top). This page contains many resources for accommodating seniors and the disabled. Also, scroll down on the page to Learn More. Select N.O.D. Interfaith Guides. This page describes the book That All May Worship. This book assists congregations, national faith groups, and seminaries in welcoming people with disabilities

Find It

http://www.boulder.shambhala.org/findit/findit.htm

At the Boulder Shambhala Meditation Center web site. Although this is a resource directory designed for Boulder County in Colorado, there are also dozens of national and some international resources listed in the chapters "Disability Resources", "Health & Disease Related" and "Mental Health Related".

Accessibility & Inclusion

http://gbgm-umc.org/disc/incl-ac.stm

An Interfaith Resource List

Access Board New Guidelines for Accessible Design

www.access-board.gov/ada-aba/final.pdf. This document provides guidelines for builders.

Additional ADA web site

www.adainformation.org. Select Publications, then New Construction Checklist and Survey Forms

International Codes Council

Guidelines for Accessible Useable Buildings and Facilities. ICC ANSI A117.1 (2003 or 1998). www.iccsafe.org/e/category.html. Under Technical Publications by Topic, select Accessibility. Or call to order 1-800-768-4452.

Mental Health Resources

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

www.nami.org
National Help Line (10-5 EST.) 800 950 6264
For families touched by childhood-onset brain disorders. www.nami.org/youth
NAMI national congress updates:
www.nami.org/update/keybills.html

"Framework Of Support"

Canadian Mental Health Association

Over the past decade the Canadian Mental Health Association has supported development of a "framework of support" that attempt to describe the practical issues involved in implementing a recovery model.

You can find the framework on the web at:
http://www.cmha.ca/

Partners in Recovery

Adult System of Care Conference 2000
by Anna Huskey
http://www.namiscc.org/

National Empowerment Center

Recovery is real and this website is filled with practical information that will help you recover if you have been labeled with a mental illness

http://www.power2u.org/

National Empowerment Center - Articles

What Are the Characteristics of a Person Who has Recovered from Mental Illness? By Daniel Fisher, M.D., Ph.D.

http://www.power2u.org/

Multimedia Recovery Resources

http://www.bu.edu/cpr/repository/multimedia.html

Publications

That All May Worship

National Organization on Disability web site: www.nod.org. Select Religious Participation (left column, near the top). This page contains many resources for accommodating seniors and the disabled. Also, scroll down on the page to Learn More. Select N.O.D. Interfaith Guides. This page describes the book That All May Worship. This book assists congregations, national faith groups, and seminaries in welcoming people with disabilities.

Accessibility Audit for Churches

2nd ed. (1995). Reeves, Kathy (ed.). Health and Welfare Ministries Program Department, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church. Available from the Service Center,
http://gbgm-umc.org/resources/order.html

7820 Reading Road, Caller No. 1800, Cincinnati OH 45222; 1-800-305-9857

Recovering Our Sense of Value After Being Labeled Mentally Ill

Deegan, P. (1993) Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 31, 4, p.7-11.