Recently, I talked with a friend about disability inclusion in the Church. He told me that the National Church Life Survey (NCLS) has information on disability inclusion in churches.[i] So, I started exploring the online findings of the 2016 Survey. While doing that, Dylan Alcott came to mind. In January this year, he was named Australian of the Year. Over the past sixty years that the award has been given out, he’s the first person with a visible disability to receive the award.
Dylan’s Speech
Dylan Alcott is a gold-medal winning Paralympian who has won the Golden Slam in tennis. Now, when he’s not on the tennis court, he’s advocating for people with disabilities. After receiving the Australian of the Year award, Dylan wheeled onto the stage and gave a speech.[ii]
He expressed his thanks, said how honoured he felt to receive this award, and shared a little about himself. Then he said that people with disabilities are under-represented in all areas of life: in the workplace, schools and universities, boardrooms, sports fields … And that’s when in mind my I thought, “… and in the Church?”
The 2016 NCLS Findings
The NCLS findings tell us about the views and experiences of church attenders. The 2016 Survey included various questions on disability inclusion.[iii] One of the items was, “People with disabilities would feel as welcome at this church as other people.” More than 90 per cent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed with this statement.[iv] It struck me that most of us think that we’re doing a pretty good job in welcoming people with disabilities.
One-third of church leaders do not know anyone with a disability.
This finding was even more puzzling when I read that about one-third of church leaders do not know anyone with a disability. How can we as churches be so welcoming and inclusive when a third of our churches don’t seem to have even one person with a disability in their midst?
A Welcoming Church?
Brian Brock is a theologian who has extensively written on disability and the Church. He is also the parent of a child with a disability. His son Adam has Down syndrome and autism. In a recent book, Brock mentions the importance of thinking theologically about disability.[v] He also discusses how people with disabilities experience the church.
People with disabilities cherish the Church, as do their families
Brock points out that people with disabilities cherish the Church, as do their families. But at the same time, they often feel unwelcome in “countless small ways.”[vi] Meghan, for example, is an adult woman with cerebral palsy. Because of her physical disability, it is hard for her to turn the pages of a hymn book. When she came to church one Sunday, no-one helped her to find the songs. Another example Brock mentions, is about parents who were asked to leave because their child was too disruptive during the service. We may think that we are welcoming people with disabilities in our church. Still, we may not realise how they experience it.
Jesus makes it clear to us that people with disabilities weren’t left on the margins. Matthew 20:29 speaks of two blind men calling out to him when Jesus passed by. Jesus shows us a very different response from the crowd. He stops, calls them, and ministers to them. In John 5:1–9, we read about Bethesda, where many people with disabilities were present. One of them was a man who had not been able to walk for 38 years. Jesus knows that and takes a genuine interest in this man’s life. In numerous gospel passages, we read how Jesus interacts with someone with a disability. He takes time for authentic encounters with them.
Small Ways to Welcome
Brock believes that many churches don’t know how to welcome people with disabilities. What should we do when someone with a disability comes to our church? It may feel difficult or uncomfortable for us to interact with him or her.
There are numerous small ways to genuinely welcome people with disabilities in our congregation. Simple things we can do and questions we can ask to make people feel welcome. Here are three examples:
- Be honest. If we find it hard to interact with a person with a disability, let’s admit that and be open about it. Let’s simply say, “We’re not sure how to do this, but let us figure it out with you.”[vii]
- Ask and learn. Instead of assuming that people with disabilities feel welcome and included at our church, let’s ask them how they experience the inclusiveness of our church and learn from them.
- Build friendship. Let’s take time building relationships, or even better, friendships with people with disabilities in our church. Why not invite them over for a meal or a coffee during the week?
These are just a few examples to get us started. There are many other small ways to make our church more welcoming to people with disabilities.
Conclusion
Dylan Alcott made an important point when he said that people with disabilities are under-represented in many areas of life. As a church, we’d better take that seriously. Wouldn’t it be God-honouring if people with disabilities were present in every church? What small steps can we take to welcome those who have been sidelined way too often? Dylan ensures us that if we welcome people like him, we won’t just enrich their lives but also our own. Moreover, Jesus often took time for the encounter with people with disabilities. Why would we wait any longer?
[i] The National Church Life Survey is a tool that helps churches nationwide to evaluate their vitality and health.
[ii] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-26/dylan-alcott-australian-of-the-year-speech-in-full/100783308.
[iii] https://www.ncls.org.au/news/2016-disability-inclusion-infographics.
[iv] From the people who agreed, 57% answered “strongly agree,” and 35% answered “agree.” See the webpage mentioned above.
[v] Brian Brock, Disability: Living into the Diversity of Christ’s Body (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2021).
[vi] Brock, Disability, 9-10, 135-136.
[vii] Brock, Disability, 149.
