Any parent can tell you that raising children is not easy. Beyond the typical challenges, many parents within our communities have a bit extra on their plates as they raise, form and educate children with disabilities.
“Not long ago, most parents of kids with disabilities thought their kids would never enroll in Catholic school. There were too many obstacles, or the costs were too high, or the schools just weren’t ready,” wrote J.D. Flynn last year.
With the advent of the FIRE Foundation of Denver just a few years ago, the landscape has begun to shift in the Archdiocese of Denver’s Catholic schools, with many school communities welcoming and embracing students with disabilities and learning to serve them more effectively.
“Including people with disabilities in Catholic schools benefits all kids,” continued Flynn. “An inclusion mindset helps teachers tailor lessons to the needs of each student, helping every child reach their full potential. But more important, inclusion gives students the chance to live the pro-life mission of the Church — to experience that every single person has dignity, and to learn to love people who think, or talk, or act differently.”
On April 13, the FIRE Foundation of Denver will host a resource fair at Holy Family High School in Broomfield from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The goal of the fair is not only to provide information about their work in making Catholic education more accessible, but also to allow families of children with disabilities to get more information about other great local resources to support them.
For more information, follow the FIRE Foundation of Denver on social media. To RSVP for the resource fair, click here.