Kathy Dickson will serve ADNet as a Student Associate during the 2009-10 school year. Her interest in disabilities has been strongly influenced by her relationship with a beloved aunt who had Down Syndrome. Even after her aunt’s death, the relationship has regularly inspired her to find ways of connecting with individuals with disabilities and their families.

Kathy is in her seventh year as Director of Career Development at Bluffton University while also studying in the Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) program at Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio. Her background includes writing a memoir about her aunt Debbie, working in a camp for youth with multiple disabilities, volunteering for an arts studio for persons with developmental disabilities, and learning from Jean Vanier and the L’Arche communities.

As the year begins, Kathy is exploring the specific shape that her work with ADNet will take. Her approach at present is  “to remain open to possibilities to study, research, reflect, and write on various aspects of disability from various angles.” She plans to look for opportunities to contribute to ADNet in conjunction with her seminary coursework and her employment in the field of career development.

Kathy brings a vision of full opportunity for persons with disabilities to her calling to serve the church. “I believe firmly that the church needs to be a place that pushes and advocates for such opportunity and must increase general awareness of various needs of individuals and families,” she writes. Kathy’s call to ministry intertwines with her commitment to people with disabilities.

Describing a vision for her future, she writes, “In the big dream, my hands would be involved with something like L’Arche or another group setting that promotes living with an attitude of mutual care, instead of caring ‘for.’ I dream of a farm like Bittersweet, where residents have responsibility in the daily care of their home and have responsibilities related to their gifts, and I believe somehow, my M.Div degree will play into that.”

Watch for opportunities to be inspired by Kathy’s vision in the year to come.

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