A Church that Disables Is a Disabled Church
“If a family with a member with intellectual disability, physical challenges, developmental delay, or communication difficulties visits our church, will they feel welcome?”
What do churches think?
According to a survey conducted by Nashville-based Lifeway Research, in America, nearly every Protestant pastor (99%) and churchgoer (97%) believe that a person with a disability would feel welcome at their church.1
What do families affected by disabilities say?
Based on the study done by Elizabeth E. O’Hanlon on families of children with disabilities:2
- Over 90% of the participants considered participating in religious activities important or very important.
- Above 90% of the participants considered support from religious leaders and members essential.
- The participants reported receiving support from members more regularly than from leaders.
- Of the participants, 33% never received support from spiritual leaders, while almost 26% never received support from members.
- More than 66% of the participants reported their child had a negative experience in their religious community.
A survey that asked caregivers of dependents with disabilities about their congregational participation revealed that:3
- Almost all (97.6%) participants reported that their faith was important or somewhat important to them.
- The support the participants’ children received significantly affected the frequency of their attendance.
- The participants indicated adequate support for their family’s participation in congregational activities was unavailable.
- One-third of the participants reported they had changed places of worship due to a lack of welcome or support for their children.
- The attitudes expressed in a faith community play a critical role in facilitating the participation of families affected by disabilities.
The following stats are from the All Belong Center for Inclusive Education:
- 52% of adults with disabilities don’t attend faith communities.
- 56% of parents of children with disabilities keep their children from participating in faith communities due to a lack of support.
- 27% of youth with disabilities attend a youth group or small group.
- 18% or fewer churches provide support for the participation of people with disabilities.
- 43% of people with significant disabilities attend a faith community one time per month. While 57% of people who do not identify as having a disability attend a faith community one time per month.
- 87% of people with disabilities said faith is important, while 84% of people without disabilities say faith is important.
Other numbers:
- In 2002, only 10% of congregations offered some type of care to people with disabilities in their communities.4
- In 2014 it was reported that 80% to 85% of churches do not have any level of disability ministry.5
The above statistics reveal a troubling inconsistency: there is a discrepancy between the belief of church leaders and members regarding disabilities and the experience of families living with disabilities. This inconsistency is also reflected in the 2014 Lifeway Research study on Acute Mental Illness and Christian Faith. The study indicated a vast disconnect between the level of support pastors believed their church provided for the mentally ill and what the families dealing with mental illness actually experienced.
My experience as a church volunteer echoes what the families with disabilities reported above. I have seen families with disabled loved ones being turned away because a church did not have support for them. I have seen families not return to a church because it did not provide a ministry for their children. I have often seen parents asked to sit in their disabled child’s Sunday school class to provide support. The consequence was that the parents missed the opportunity to receive spiritual nourishment from the pulpit and social support from fellowship. Many families have also felt frustrated that they could not participate in most church activities due to a lack of support.
The above findings indicate that most churches may have an unrealistic view of their ministry efforts and of the effectiveness of their outreach to people affected by disabilities. Many churches may believe they welcome and support people with disabilities and their families. However, many families affected by disabilities do not feel welcomed or accepted by their church. Even those who regularly attend church services often feel excluded and remain on the fringes.
What exactly hinders the full participation of people with disabilities and their families in the church?
What are the barriers?
Many factors influence religious attendance and participation. However, various studies show that several barriers either push away families affected by disabilities or hinder their involvement in faith communities. These barriers are physical/architectural barriers, communication barriers, program barriers, transportation barriers, attitudinal/social barriers, and theological barriers. In this post, I will address the first four barriers. I will discuss attitudinal/social and theological barriers in later posts.
Physical/architectural barriers
I will never forget a church that had
a sign in front of its sanctuary that declared that the building was “handicap accessible.”
A ramp led up the side of the step to the sanctuary, and then one step remained to enter the church.
For many people with disabilities,
that one step serves as an apt metaphor for how the church has welcomed them.6
These barriers include physical space and architectural design that hinder access to the church building and facilities. Do you know that a church’s parking lot and entrance offer the first impression of the church’s attitude toward disabilities? Do you have designated parking spots for people with mobility impairments? Are the sidewalks and entryways wide enough for wheelchairs and other mobility equipment?
Simply saying you welcome people with disabilities and putting up an “All Are Welcome” sign is not enough. No amount of spoken or written words mean anything if people with disabilities cannot even enter the church door.
Our efforts to increase physical accessibility must reach beyond the church doorway. Can the worship space, stages, classrooms, hallways, fellowship areas, playgrounds, restrooms, or church offices be easily navigated by people using walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, or other adaptive equipment? Can things like doors or light switches be accessed with minimal strength or motor ability? Are signages clear and intelligible with braille, symbols, or high-contrast letters for people with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities? What about practical, functional concerns? Can people with disabilities reach drinking fountains, coffee machines, faucets, or paper towel dispensers? Can people with hearing impairments know when the fire alarm goes off?
Communication barriers
Do we offer printed materials like Bibles, bulletins, flyers, or hymnals in large prints, easy-to-read fonts, or braille? Do we communicate with simple, short, and explicit language, avoiding jargon or complex sentences? Can information be presented using alternative methods, such as pictures, symbols, photographs, and signs, rather than written or spoken words? What about media? Is there captioning on the videos played in the worship service? How can we ensure that people with disabilities receive weekly announcements or event updates?
When thinking about communication, we must think beyond words or printed materials. We must remember that we communicate through our entire body – our verbiage, tones, gestures, postures, and even faces.
Are we mindful of the words we use, avoiding outdated and inappropriate terms? Do our verbal expressions betray an “us vs. them” mentality? What about our facial expressions? Do we grimace at the sight of a boy with a disfigured face? Do we show disapproval when a person with tic disorders makes sudden movements or sounds during the worship service? Do we speak directly to a person with disabilities with proper eye contact? Do we treat adults with disabilities as adults or talk down to them because of their perceived mental capacity? Do we lean on someone’s wheelchair or move another’s mobility equipment without permission, not realizing mobility equipment is part of an individual’s personal space?
Communication is a two-way street. We help others know us by sharing our stories. In the same way, we get to know others by listening to their stories. A relationship is built as we go past superficial exchanges and get to know others by mutual sharing. A friendship is developed as we enter each other’s world by listening attentively as others share their hearts. Make a conscious effort to interact with someone with a disability at church. Listen to the person carefully and attentively. Do not rush through conversations just because the other person may not communicate in the same way or because it takes more time for the person to respond. Maintain a posture of humility and respect.
Program barriers
A genuinely inclusive church ministry should go beyond Sunday worship service, providing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in church activities, use their gifts, offer their services, build relationships, and grow spiritually with fellow church members. Is there extra support for children or youth with disabilities to participate in church programs? Do we consider the needs of students with disabilities by choosing religious curricula that engage students in various ways and offer teachers ideas for adapting and delivering the lessons? Do we invite people with disabilities and their families to participate in special events and regular programs? Do we involve people with disabilities in planning activities to ensure their accessibility needs are met?
Transportation barriers
Most of us do not worry about how to get from one place to another, let alone lose sleep over it. We take our freedom to move about for granted. However, many adults with disabilities cannot drive or live in areas with limited public transportation. Without transportation, these adults often cannot attend worship services regularly or participate in small groups, service projects, or other church activities. Can the church set up a team responsible for arranging and providing rides to people who need transportation? Can events be held at a location with convenient public transportation?
What changes are necessary?
The disconnect between the church’s view of people with disabilities and the experience of families affected by disabilities should serve as a wake-up call to the church. We can no longer turn a deaf ear to the heart cry of people with disabilities and their families. We can no longer ignore the barriers in the church that have shut the door to our fellow brothers and sisters with disabilities. When we turn a blind eye to the existing barriers, we limit the Gospel’s reach, damage our witness, and hurt the Father’s heart. The church becomes the disabling agent that hinders the attendance and participation of people with disabilities.
On the other hand, the church becomes disabled when people with disabilities and their families are missing from church life. It means a significant part of the body is missing. Therefore, the body is incomplete, and the church is not whole.
Changes are necessary. Christian churches must take action to break down the barriers and open the doors wide. Christ’s love compels us to do so.
An Affirmative Answer
May Christian churches intentionally remove the existing barriers and welcome people with disabilities and their families into our midst so that we can confidently answer the opening question:
“If a family with a member with intellectual disability, physical challenges, developmental delay, or communication difficulties visits our church, will they feel welcome?”
With a resounding:
“Yes!“
1. Lifeway Research offers surveys on pastors and churchgoers regarding attitudes toward people with disabilities.
2. O’Hanlon, E. E. (2013). Religion and Disability: The Experiences of Families of Children with Special Needs. Journal of Religion, Disability & Health, 17(1), 42–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228967.2012.731874
3. Ault, M. J., Collins, B. C., & Carter, E. W. (2013). Congregational Participation and Supports for Children and Adults with Disabilities: Parent Perceptions. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 51(1), 48–61. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-51.01.048
4. Woolever, C., & Bruce, D. (2002). A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations: Who’s Going Where and Why (1st ed). Westminster John Knox Press.
5. Zylstra, S. E. (n.d.). Let No Special Need Hinder the Spread of the Gospel. The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/let-no-special-need-hinder-the-spread-of-the-gospel/
6. Haythorn, T. (2003). DIFFERENT BODIES, ONE BODY: INCLUSIVE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND THE ROLE OF THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR. Religious Education, 98(3), 331–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/00344080390217522-42