Disability in Our Ministry: Towards Inclusive Church
Churches often pride themselves on being welcoming and inclusive spaces. However, I want to ask you to consider the response your church has to those with disabilities. Similar to other areas in society, church environments can be places that disable or exclude people. This can be from a lack of physical access, through to a lack of rich discipleship, that results in a poor experience for some people. So how should the faith community respond to disability in a way that is inclusive and enabling?
A key focus for many churches is to welcome strangers. This inclusion of guests is not a new concept: many churches welcome visitors and provide ways for connections to be made. However, I would argue that part of being welcomed into a church requires the ability to conform to existing traditions and to ways that are not inclusive for all people. It is much easier for people to feel welcome if they are similar to everyone else in the group. The benefits of conformity can exclude physical and cognitive differences that people have.
There is a great deal of scripture that gives believers reason to actively work towards all-embracing inclusion. Fundamentally, God created all people in his own image (Gen 1:27-31). As believers, we celebrate being made in the image of God and acknowledge that we represent him on earth. However, what does it mean when someone looks different or behaves differently to the majority? Are some people so different that they are not part of the church? Do we decide on behalf of people who have disabilities that finding faith will not be possible for them?
Disability is seen as abnormal in a world which is built for the non-disabled. It is important to raise awareness of what the church can do to walk with people who have disabilities in their journeys of faith. We are given different abilities and an emotional nature that surpasses individuality, which should lead us to care for all creation. The evidence is throughout God’s word: I believe the body of Christ is a place of unity as well as diversity (Gal 3:28), the imago Dei is present in all people, disabled or non-disabled. So, how do we always respond with God’s word in mind? Should not our churches actively remove barriers and disciple all believers?
Barriers Create Exclusion
Barriers can be obvious but are sometimes less noticeable. Through working in the disability sector, what has surprised me a great deal are the challenges that a lack of accessibility can cause. I remember attending a talk for people with disabilities that was held on the second floor of a building. People in wheelchairs could not attend because access was only via stairwells. Another time the guest speaker at an event could not gain access to the stage on which she was to speak from, due to stairs being the only route. Imagine graduating, but not being able to go up onto the stage to collect your diploma! Challenges with communication can cause barriers as well. A church may not be able to afford or access sign language interpreters all the time, however alternatives may help, such as sermon notes or handouts being available. When these barriers are in place there are limits around who can participate in the church and in what ways.
Ultimately, avoiding the subject of disability is the biggest barrier. Avoidance can stem from a lack of awareness, fears that people have, being embarrassed, through to believing that disability is only for qualified carers to respond to. Genuine connections are key for helping people with disabilities know that they are truly welcome.
How can the Church Community Respond?
There is a need for there to be a disability focus for a leadership discussion in order to form a plan.
We often have someone assigned to be a health and safety officer or the fire evacuation person, why not have a disability specialist as well? To support the duties of the role we can draw on the strengths already in our church congregations; there may be people who are caregivers or experienced with disabilities who can offer ideas.
I am not an expert on all physical or intellectual disabilities, but through personal experiences and a desire to see our churches include and not segregate groups of people, I offer the following ideas that could be a starter for your plan.
Create a Checklist That Includes:
A monthly walkabout to monitor how accessible your premises are
Can a person using a wheelchair get in the building and access all areas, such as the bathroom?
Are there stairs or lips in the doorways, which prevent access?
Are there emergency evacuation procedures for people with limited mobility?
Rails on the wall in a bathroom are needed, is there room for a wheelchair to turn and can hand towels be reached from a seated position?
Further Things to Consider:
Provide multiple ways for all people to see and hear sermons, and to participate in worship
Visual aides and tactile sermons that connect touch, smell and feel may help information that is shared to be understood better
Educate Sunday school teachers if they need to know more about supporting children with disabilities
If you have a stage, can all people access it?
How will you baptise people with limited mobility?
People with disabilities should not be treated as a project for non-disabled people
Do our actions create integration or segregation?
Are environments created which encourage people with disabilities to find a way to serve?
Include family members, they may know best how to help
Could someone put a clip on your website, that shows access routes into the building
Your Objectives Could Include:
To develop a theological view on disability
To grow as a church where people who experience disability can find faith
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Change that helps people to be included does not need to be costly or time consuming. A basic plan can change lives and enable discipleship that otherwise may not have occurred. I believe it is part of God’s glory when we proactively include thought around disability in our ministry.
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Wade Limpus is currently a student at Carey Baptist College - Te Kareti o Iriiri Carey.