Research Focus Is On Children with Disabilities and their Faith Community in Athens, Ga.

Evin Richardson, a graduate student at the University of Georgia studying Human Development and Family Studies, is working on a research study under the direction of Dr. Zolinda Stoneman at the Institute on Human Development and Disabilities. She is recruiting parents of children and adolescents with a disability under the age of 18. 

She writes:

I am looking for parents who are part of a faith community, meaning they attend a religious service at least once a month. The goal of this study is to find out what faith communities, such as churches, mosques, and synagogues, do to support children and adolescents with disabilities and their families as well as what they could do to better support families like yours.  Once I have gathered this information, I am planning to create a presentation to share with various congregations as well as publishing my findings in a research journal.

This process will include receiving additional information along with a consent form.  Once you have given consent, I will contact you about the best way to interview you. This may be over the phone or in person.  This interview will take about 20 to 30 minutes of your time and will include questions about your specific experiences with your faith community.  If you believe this describes you and you would like to participate in this study, please feel free to e-mail me or contact me by phone:   E-mail: evinwrichardson@gmail.com Phone: (706) 983-1839