Possibilities - Anabaptist Disabilities Network

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Anabaptist Disabilities Network
PO Box 959
Goshen, IN 46527-0959
Phone: 574-535-7053
Ph/Fax: 877-214-9838

Possibilities Plus

Welcome to "Possibilities Plus"--a new periodic communication from ADNet! "Possibilities Plus" contains brief highlights of ADNet's work and how you as a family member, church leader, or interested person can be more fully involved in this ministry network. Please consider how you may participate!

Below you will find the latest issue of Possibilities Plus... Back issues are available by selecting the links in the right column.

To receive each issue as it is published, use the handy form to subscribe. (This form can also be used to unsubscribe or change an email address.)

Notes from the ADNet Office
Possibilities Plus...

October 2009

For people with disabilities...there are possibilities!
For families with mental illness...there are possibilities!
For congregations with barriers...there are possibilities!
For communities who want to be inclusive...there are possibilities!

Is your church welcoming to persons with disabilities? How do you know? One way to find out is to use the Individual and Family Needs Questionnaire, available on the Congregational Accessibility Network (CAN) website. The Questionnaire is...

Reproducible! It can be distributed to each household in your congregation--members, regular attendees, even occasional visitors.
Revealing! Allows family members to share how they feel included or excluded in the church.
Respectful! Responses can be signed or unsigned and are seen by a select committee and summarized by them for the congregation.
Resourceful! Can be used on its own or as part of a larger study and action on congregational inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Ready! Go to the Congregational Accessibility Network website for more details and to immediately download the form.

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Persons with disabilities and a cleaner environment. Recently, advocates for both of these causes have started drawing more connections between them. For example:

Scientists estimated in 2000 that 3-8% of the 4 million babies born each year in the United States have significant neurodevelopmental disabilities. The causes of fewer than 25% of these disabilities are known. Of those that we do know, chemicals in the environment, such as lead and mercury, play a significant part. Research is ongoing to determine if there are other chemicals causing neurodevelopmental disabilities.
In 2008, The Collaborative on Health and the Environment’s Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative estimated that out of the approximately 3,000 chemicals manufactured in large quantities in the U.S., "about 200 are adult neurotoxicants and another 1,000 are suspected of affecting the nervous system. Overall there has been a gross failure to require developmental neurotoxicity testing," the report judges.

Church buildings are not exempt from the growing concern about environmental contamination. More than two decades ago, prophetic voices began drawing attention to the harmful effects of some indoor environments for certain people. Mary Davis, in the April 2, 1986, edition of Christian Century, wrote, "Many [church] sanctuaries contain 'indoor pollution' such as synthetic furnishings, carpeting and, in the case of new buildings, construction materials. During services the air tends to be filled also with the scent of powders, perfumes, hair sprays, deodorants and after-shave. Burning incense and candles adds to the problem."

As environmental sensitivity increases and our awareness grows about the high personal cost of environmental contamination, how can the church respond? ADNet has begun to collect stories and suggestions about responding to the needs of persons with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Over the course of the next year, we hope to add to these pages. Do you have a story, a resource, or counsel that might help congregations minimize environmental barriers to participation? Send it to us at .

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New! Just One More Day: Meditations for Those Who Struggle with Anxiety and Depression , by Beverlee Buller Keck. Copies of this book, just published by Kindred Productions (affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Church) are now available for $19.95 from ADNet. If you mention Possibilities Plus in your order, we will waive the normal $5.00 shipping and handling charge. Watch for the coming review in the December issue of ADNet's Connections newsletter.

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Did you know that you can give online to ADNet?

Credit card. Many people like the convenience of credit card giving online. ADNet offers three possibilities: (1) Mennonite Church USA Online giving (through Mennonite Foundation), (2) Network for Good, an online resource for U.S. non-profits, and (3) Paypal, the leading resource for financial transactions over the Internet.
Direct Giving . This is a way to give regularly by having your contribution automatically transferred either monthly or quarterly from your checking or savings account. It saves time and postage and your transaction is handled safely and securely by a reputable company.

Of course, you can also write out a check and put it in the mail! Convenient envelopes are included in each newsletter and support letter that we send out. You can check out all of the ways to give at www.adnetonline.org/Give.

Thank you for your support of ADNet! In these lean economic times, your gift is especially appreciated. Please let us know of any stories or concerns you have to share by using the contact information below.

Paul D. Leichty, Executive Director
Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADNet)
PO Box 959, Goshen, IN 46527-0959
Voice/Fax: 1-877-214-9838
www.adnetonline.org/Give

To receive future editions of Possibilities Plus..., send an adnetonline.org" mce_href="mailto:adnetadnetonline.org">adnet@</a> adnetonline.org" mce_href="mailto:adnetadnetonline.org">adnetonline.org</a> to us and put Possibilities Plus in the Subject line.

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Possibilities Plus

Possibilities Plus... Notes from the ADNet Office

Possibilities Plus, October 2009

Possibilities Plus, September 2009

Possibilities Plus, July 2009

Possibilities Plus, June 2009

Possibilities Plus, May 2009

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