Disability Awareness for All

1. Please start here

Welcome to this Conversation Starter exploring Disability Awareness for All

The aim of this conversation starter is to get you thinking and talking.  How you use it is up to you.  This might be in a church meeting, elders meeting or a small group setting; perhaps during worship or café church; even just to prompt you to have deeper conversations with a friend.

Each page begins with a short introduction followed by prompts to get you started.  There's some material for worship or reflection, questions to provoke deeper thinking, suggestions for first steps and community gatherings, plus links to other useful resources. The material is also available as sessions which can be downloaded (as PDFs or PowerPoints) to use with groups if that is helpful.

You are invited to use the material flexibly but intentionally - and please let us know how you have used it and whether you have found it helpful.  

2. What is a disability?

Download the PDF of this session:

• What is a disability (PDF)

What does the word disability mean to you? 

I wonder if you have anything you would consider a disability? 

What kind of restrictions does having a disability bring? 

I wonder if there are any positives that emerge?

Watch the video together and discuss your initial thoughts.

In groups or pairs brainstorm the sorts of issues which may arise for a person with a disability, use these headings as a stimulus.

VULNERABILITY

VOCABULARY

ACCESSABILITY

EDUCATION

UNDERSTANDING

EXPECTATIONS

STRUGGLES AND CHALLENGES

POSITIVES

2.1. Barriers for people with disability

Consider reading the chapter ‘Waking up to ableism in Christian communities’ by Chrissie Thwaites in Young, Woke and Christian edited by Victoria Turner.

Read this excerpt from the chapter

What barriers are there for people of disability in your church context? How could they be addressed? How are those voices heard?

2.2. Case Study

Read the case study below: what can we learn from Alanna’s experience and how does it reflect the previous except?

My Testimony – a case study - Alanna

I am hearing impaired. I have had sensori-neural hearing loss since birth in both of my ears. I prefer to attend noisy events, whilst I find them challenging, I enjoy challenging the misconceptions of deafness/ the idea that I shouldn’t be invited to events since I struggle to hear. I want to show that we, the deaf community can overcome the adversity and difficulties that we face. However, I also acknowledge that I have found it embarrassing and tiring having to ask people to repeat themselves. But I use this to my advantage, I use these noisy and challenging events to try and overcome the stigma that it is embarrassing or shameful that I cannot hear everything or often mishear. I try to be patient with myself, as if I can’t be patient with myself how can I expect others to be. Everyone has different communication needs, and the solution is creating an environment where everyone can be included, people should not be excluded from situations just because of their impairment.

 I would like to highlight that my experiences are vastly different to others with more, less or the same amount of hearing loss, it even differs to those who have lost it as they have aged, through illness or if born with hearing impairment.

 Even though I am deaf I still want to participate, it isn’t for others to decide whether a situation is too challenging for me, it is up to me as the individual to decide if it is too difficult, I don’t want to be excluded just because others think I will struggle.

 I would like to note that many testimonies contradict each other, this is exactly what they are meant to do! It shows just how much disability can affect society as no two people are the same and no two people have the same experience. This is why it is so important to get people to start talking. If churches do not talk to individuals, how can anything be made better?  For some, disability isn’t something they like to talk about, but for others it is! And this is ok. To me, disability isn’t a taboo subject, and it isn’t shameful, but we must understand that for some, disabilities are deeply personal and can be a hurtful topic. Therefore, when doing these discussions and conversation starters, we must encourage churches to be inclusive but mindful.

2.3. Reflection

What are you taking away from this session? 

What are your priorities in your context? 

Make a list and set a time frame around them. What is the first thing you need to do?

3. Being Accepted

3.1. Reflection

3.2. Take home

Look through the newspaper or news websites finding stories of disadvantage and discrimination – especially look for those linked to disabilities. Try to understand both sides and then pray into the situation.

Prayer

Creator God, you made me.
Just as I am.

Thank you for the wonder of me;
For the things I love about me;
Even for the things I might sometimes wish I could change.
Loving Jesus, you are always with me.
Just as I am.

Thank you for being my friend;
For knowing me better than anyone;
For the joy we share, you and me together.
Holy Spirit, you fill me.
Just as I am.

Thank you for your comfort when I feel fed up;
For your encouragement when things are tough;
For helping me grow in your love
and play my part in your family,
Just as I am.

Amen

4. Being Valued

1 You have searched me, Lord, 
   and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
   you, Lord, know it completely.

5 You hem me in behind and before
   and you lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
     your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me 
    and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
     the night will shine like the day,
     for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
     your works are wonderful,
     I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
     when I was made in the secret place,
     when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
     all the days ordained for me were written in your book
     before one of them came to be.

4.1. Video and reflection

Watch this video:

Questions

4.2. Reflection

4.3. Take home

Jesus, who overturned the tables in the temple forecourts,

you came to earth as a vulnerable child to turn world order upside down.

We long for you to tear down the barriers

That segregate and divide your people according to labels.

We long for you to break down the doors

that keep your people on the margins, disadvantaged in their access to the means of worship,

their access to playing their part in your church here on earth.

Shake up those who make assumptions that devalue or ‘other’ or exclude.

Grant awareness to those who are oblivious to the hurdles our buildings, our language,

our expectations put in the way of others.

Open our congregations to embrace the gifts of all, enriching our worship by ensuring that all are welcome, all belong, all have opportunity to participate fully in the way God intended for all God’s family.

5. Being Visible

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

5.1. Video and questions

Watch the video and work through the questions

Questions:

5.2. Reflection

5.3. Take home

I thank you, Lord, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made.

It’s just hard to remember it sometimes, in a world that focuses so heavily on the perfect.

Photoshopped pictures, glossy advertising, even those social media posts which flaunt the

perfect body, the perfect life.

How can I measure up against those? How can anybody?

It becomes easy to dismiss others as different, to feel different, to believe they or we fall short,

And to look to seat blame for that firmly in the individual.

But in Your kingdom, O God, each one is already perfect.

Each one has potential, each one is valued, each one brings something into the mix,

So much so that your kingdom is imperfect without them.

Forgive us when we question this, either about ourselves or about others.

Forgive us when we focus on perceived lack rather than God-given gifts.

Grant us a glimpse of your kingdom.                                              

Amen

6. Hidden Disabilities

Download the PDF of this session:

• Hidden Disabilities (PDF)

What is a hidden disability?

A disability that isn’t immediately obvious to other people. Sometimes the term ‘invisible disabilities’ is used to describe this kind of condition. However, this isn’t accurate as the disability is often visible, we just don’t recognise it and may be mis-labelled often with a social judgement, e.g. lazy, stupid, irritable.

• Neurodivergent conditions:
  • ADHD
  • Autism
  • Dyslexia
  • Learning disabilities
• Chronic health conditions
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Crohn’s
  • Diabetes
  • M.E./Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Chronic pain
  • Fibromyalgia
• Mental illness
  • Bipolar disorder
  • O.C.D.
  • Schizophrenia

6.1. Misunderstood Behaviours

People with hidden disabilities often display behaviours that are misunderstood and labelled with prejudice, e.g. lower frustration thresholds, socially inappropriate behaviours, lower energy levels. Not everyone with these conditions will consider themselves disabled and those that do may not want others to perceive them as disabled.

• Sunflower lanyard
  • A simple visual indicator with a positive symbol to show that someone might need extra time, additional support, or simply patience and understanding.
• Sometimes hidden disabilities are dynamic disabilities.
  • People experience barriers and obstacles in some spaces but not in others.
  • They may experience varying severity of symptoms at some times and not others.
  • It can be unpredictable.
• Masking
  • Masking describes when a person conceals their disability to meet normative expectations and ‘blend in’.
  • This is often done to avoid prejudice, discrimination, and stigma.
  • Everybody masks in some way, e.g. politely pretending we have heard or understood what someone else is saying.
  • Often the ability to mask relies on the person with hidden disabilities being at their peak health-wise, i.e. generally good health, slept well, well-fed.
  • Being ill, hungry, sleep-deprived can compromise the ability to mask.
• Expectations
  • Often disabilities are hidden because we have socio-normative expectations of the ways people should think and behave in certain situations,
  • We can start to make our world more welcoming and inclusive for people with hidden disabilities by recognising, confronting and challenging these expectations and ‘lowering the bar’ for criteria how to participate.
  • To ensure everyone feels welcome and able to participate, we need to celebrate each person for who God has created them to be.

6.2. Case study

Andrea is coeliac.

• Andrea has made her dietary restrictions known to the minister, who usually make sure there is gluten free bread available at communion. 
• Last week her minister was off ill and when she went to the front for communion, there was only one loaf of bread.  She felt embarrassed to ask if it was gluten-free and just folded her hands to indicate she would like to receive a blessing rather than the bread and wine.
• Her minister continues to be ill and Andrea isn’t sure what to do.  She thinks she will stay at home instead of going to church until they are better.

6.3. Church conversation starters

• Do you know anyone with a hidden disability?
• Have you seen anyone wearing the sunflower lanyard?
• How can you know if someone has a hidden disability?

Hint: they might not wear a sunflower lanyard or want to volunteer the information.

• How could you make your church a welcoming and affirming space for hidden disabilities?
• What expectations are implicit in the ways you meet as a church?
• What expectations might create barriers for people with hidden disabilities?
• How can you celebrate each person God brings into your community?
• How can you help someone who has a hidden disability but it isn’t known?

7. Further Resources

Here you will find further resources to enhance your understanding of disabilities and the impact they may have:

Bible Studies

Two Bible studies combined with case studies to enable you to deepen your disability awareness.

• Bible Studies (PDF)

People's Voices

PowerPoint of quotes from people with disabilities within the URC to reflect on:

• People's Voices (PPT)

The Variety of Disabilities

PowerPoint that builds up a picture of a wide variety of disabilities to help stimulate discussion.

• The Variety of Disabilities (PPT)

Disability Awareness Church Audit

From the Talking About series hosted by URC Children’s and Youth Work: