Disabilities

Information and Ideas for Congregations

Disability is complex. While people experience impairments, the way that we structure our environment physically and socially can be disabling. Our call as Christians is to overcome barriers to full participation in the life of our communities, creating space where all are invited to belong.

This section of the website includes tips for congregations to be more accommodating to people with specific types of disabilities. Click on a category to find a printable page of tips for congregations and individuals. Links to theological perspectives and stories of inclusion are included with a brief introduction to each disability.

an elderly white woman looks at a phone with a middle-aged woman wearing a mask.

Aging

Accepting & accommodating disabilities that come with age

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hands of multiple white people of various ages grasp each other

Care & Support

Supportive care for disabled people and their caregivers

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Three white men smile joyfully: one is a young adult with a visible sign of a disability, one is a middle-aged man, and one is an older male.

Developmental

Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Williams Syndrome

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a small hearing aid held in the hands of a young adult female.

Hearing

Hearing impairment and Deaf culture

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a person in a knit sweater and long skirt lean on a cane in the middle of a field.

Hidden Illness

Chronic illness, terminal illness, and other long-term pain

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a young adult female and middle-aged adult female sit on a couch holding hands, their heads bent in grief.

Mental Illness

Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc.

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a woman in a wheelchair raises her hands to the sky. In the background is the beach.

Mobility

Physical accessibility, walker & wheelchair access

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two adults sit outside. One person shows their phone to the other person. Both people are smiling.

Neurodivergence

Autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability

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A man reads using a braille note and a woman reads using a book.

Vision

People with low vision or who are blind

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