"It's not in our budget," religious leaders will say to the wheelchair user who can't fit into a bathroom stall. Or, "We can't make that alteration just for you."

Budget constraints are real, but too often, enabling greater access to people with disabilities simply isn't a priority. At 15% of the world's population, disabled folks are considered the "world's largest minority," according to the World Health Organization.

Once a religious group decides to address disability access, however, it'll find that there's no one-size-fits-all approach.

"Accessibility is a really broad category and means a lot of different things for different people," explained Rabbi Julia Watts Belser, longtime disability justice advocate and associate professor of Jewish studies at Georgetown.

"I myself am a wheelchair user, and I have certain foundational needs and accessibility aspirations, things that make me feel welcome in a place. But those needs, if you were in conversation with somebody who had a cognitive disability, or someone who is deaf, blind or autistic, their accessibility needs are really different."

Though there's no comprehensive checklist, there are plenty of ways to make churches, synagogues and mosques more welcoming spaces.

Religion News Service spoke with disability leaders, scholars and activists to highlight their suggestions about how to make religious places more accessible.

Broaden your leadership

Who is making decisions about community programs, building updates and funds?

If the answer doesn't include someone with a disability, then odds are accessibility is being overlooked.

"Part of the reason why churches have for the most part become unintentionally exclusive is because when they're constructing ideas of what church should look like, they never include disabled people," Lamar Hardwick, author of "Disability and the Church" and pastor at Tri-Cities Church in East Point, Georgia, told RNS.

"And so naturally, you're going to continue to create spaces that don't include them because you don't have their voices at the table."

Check your minbar/bimah/pulpit

Ramps and elevators are great. But congregations should also consider ensuring that people can access podiums, lecterns and pulpits.

"Even in communities that have prioritized wheelchair access, there's often an implicit assumption that the wheelchair users are in the pews, not leading the prayers," said Watts Belser.

Watch your language

Equating blindness or deafness with sin can be both alienating and offensive.

"At my temple, we chant probably one to three hours a day. And I can tell you that there's ableist language everywhere," said Georgia Kashnig, a doctoral student at Georgetown University and a Buddhist practitioner.

"What we chant in the morning says something like, ‘She cures those who are blind.' It basically uses the language of blindness to talk about delusion and lack of spiritual awakening."

Take care to assess language for insensitivity to people with disabilities and be receptive when discriminatory language is pointed out.

Don't pray without permission

As the title of Shakespeare scholar Amy Kenny's new book "My Body Is Not a Prayer Request" indicates, disabled people — especially those with physical disabilities — are often the unwilling recipients of prayers asking God to eliminate their disability.

While some disabled folks might seek prayers for healing, it's never appropriate to assume. Plenty of people in disability communities see their disability as something to be celebrated, not cured.

"Unsolicited prayers come from a place of wanting to erase disability altogether. And I think that they fail to recognize that disabled people are at the forefront of the work that God is doing in and with humanity throughout Scripture," Kenny told RNS.

Don't point. Post signs and accompany

Hardwick, who is known online as the "Autism Pastor," told RNS good signage can be a huge help to those who are neurodivergent.

"It's anxiety-provoking when you go to a facility where you don't know where everything is, and people are telling you instead of taking you."

Hardwick added that worship spaces should also train volunteers to accompany people to where they're headed, rather than just giving directions or pointing.

Provide multiple ways to pray

Worship is enhanced when a congregation embraces multiple modes of connecting with God, says Bethany McKinney Fox, founding leader of Beloved Everybody, a Los Angeles community for people with and without intellectual disabilities.

Offering multiple ways to pray, or reflect, or engage scripture empowers participants to worship in a way that is meaningful for them.

"Create space for more embodied forms of expression, space for more emotional connections, space for different creative and artistic expressions," said McKinney Fox.

Keep remote worship

Zoom and Facebook Live have made this easier than ever, but Watts Belser notes that religious groups shouldn't go on autopilot when it comes to remote options.

"Some of the most meaningful forms of remote access allow people to participate fully and to engage in meaningful ways, rather than just defaulting to a lackluster livestream,"

Watts Belser wrote to RNS. "It's great to plan for multiple modes of access, because it recognizes the diversity of people's needs and desires."

Consider communication

Depending on their disability, folks might rely on closed captioning, sign language interpreters, audio recordings or large-print text to receive information.

Noor Pervez, a community organizer and accessibility director for Masjid al-Rabia, a mosque and Islamic community center in Chicago, told RNS that religious groups should use plain language and "easy read" materials.

"People with intellectual and developmental disabilities can't easily participate if you're not giving us the dignity of giving us equal access to what you're talking about," said Pervez.

"This also has cross-cutting effects of benefitting people learning the language being spoken, or who haven't had access to as much formal education."

Lean into teachings about inclusion

Once a religious group decides to address disability access, however, it'll find that there's no one-size-fits-all approach.Rabia Khedr, CEO of DEEN Support Services, a Canadian disability support organization founded by disabled Muslims, says many religions, including Islam, already account for the needs of disabled people, but adherents often don't apply their own religious teachings on inclusion to disabled members.

Kenny agreed, saying many people don't really understand the needs of the disabled. "Ableism is in so many of our systems and structures and communities, but it's really difficult to even get people to recognize where there is ableism, let alone change the culture to allow for greater accessibility."

Keep at it

Disability activists say the work of disability justice isn't just for disability awareness month (March) or disability pride month (July). It's a constant effort that should become integrated into the life of your community. Says Hardwick: "Make it part of the ethos of your church so it erodes the stigma and is something that is talked about often."

• Kathryn Post is an author at Religion News Service.
• First published in RNS. Republished with permission.

A leaked paper from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development warned that state housing agency Kainga Ora's borrowing was becoming unsustainable.

The paper suggested suspending programmes to improve heating and removing "accessibility improvements" from Kainga Ora's retrofit programme as ways of saving money, as well as leaving remote locations which were high cost.

Green Party spokeswoman for disabled people Jan Logie urged Housing Minister Megan Woods to rule out accepting that recommendation. Read more

On Saturday, Labour's Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced the medications can now be prescribed by primary care practitioners, including GPs, midwives, and nurse practitioners.

She said the New Zealand College of Sexual and Reproductive Health will partner with Te Whariki Takapou, a Maori-led health organisation to deliver a new, "innovative" training package to better meet the needs of rangatahi, Maori, Pacific and disabled people.

Verrall said that by lifting some restrictions on Pharmac funded medications, more practitioners can prescribe them at low cost, improving New Zealanders' access to "safe, quality abortion services".

"These changes will improve access to early medical abortion, and will mean people can access the service from their trusted primary care provider and in a familiar setting," Verrall said.

Abortion in New Zealand was decriminalised in 2020.

Source: Stuff

The findings from Stats NZ measure the level of inequality for the one in four New Zealanders who are disabled.

It found the median personal income for disabled people aged between 15 and 64 was less than half of that of non-disabled people, at just $353 per week. Read more

Participants in the service included people from all Christian faiths with and without intellectual disability.

A joyous atmosphere prevailed as the symbols and banners came up the aisle in procession and then a quiet moment while those present watched a video presentation on Jean's life and message.

Speakers included:

• Anne-Marie Pike, founder of Marralomeda Community, who spoke about the history of the New Zealand Connection with Jean Vanier
• Candice Wilson, community leader of L'Arche Kapiti, who spoke about the significance of the Washing of Feet in their communities
• David Treanor, Envoy L'Arche International, who spoke about Jean Vanier's last weeks and the peace he felt within as he made his journey home. David movingly read Jean's last message to his friends.

The sacrament of the washing of feet is very central to life at L'Arche, Marralomeda and Faith & Light… a ritual that reminds them that Jesus calls us to serve one another.

After a reading from John's Gospel, a mime was presented.

Then everyone in the congregation washed each other's hands in pairs and shared a blessing/prayer together.

Christchurch's Catholic bishop Paul Martin and the Anglican Bishop of Christchurch Peter Carrell washed each other's hands and prayed together.

Quotations from Jean were read by some of the young people present.

The celebration concluded with the singing of "Christ be Our Light" and a bit of fun when everyone batted balloons to each other.

Source

Supplied: Anne-Marie Pike

"I learned so much from the G.I.F.T. groups", said Lijana Anketell, a long time volunteer at G.I.F.T (Growth in Faith Together) and friend of Sr Jean's. Continue reading in NZ Catholic

In a homily at a Mass at St Peter's Square on Sunday for the Jubilee of the Sick and Disabled, the Pope called for mutual solidarity and acceptance.

Francis criticised the modern "objections" raised "to a life characterised by serious physical limitations".

"It is thought that sick or disabled persons cannot be happy, since they cannot live the lifestyle held up by the culture of pleasure and entertainment," the Pope said.

"In an age when care for one's body has become an obsession and a big business, anything imperfect has to be hidden away, since it threatens the happiness and serenity of the privileged few and endangers the dominant model," Francis continued.

"Such persons should best be kept apart, in some ‘enclosure' - even a gilded one - or in ‘islands' of pietism or social welfare, so that they do not hold back the pace of a false well-being," the Pope added.

"In some cases, we are even told that it is better to eliminate them as soon as possible, because they become an unacceptable economic burden in time of crisis."

Francis said that when people shut their eyes in the face of sickness and disability, they fail to understand the real meaning of life which "has to do with accepting suffering and limitation".

"The world does not become better because only apparently ‘perfect' people live there - I say ‘perfect' rather than ‘false' - but when human solidarity, mutual acceptance and respect increase."

"The happiness that everyone desires," the Pope added, can only be "attained only if we are capable of loving".

"It is always a matter of love; there is no other path."

The Jubilee for the Sick and Persons with Disabilities, which ran from June 10-12, was part of the Year of Mercy.

For the first time in a papal Mass in St Peter's Square, on Sunday the Gospel was dramatised by a group of intellectually disabled persons.

This was so the text could be understood by pilgrims with mental disabilities, the Vatican announced.

At the Mass, people with disabilities did various liturgical roles.

Sources

• Vatican Radio
• Catholic News Agency
• Aleteia
• Image: Daily Mail

The award recognises his efforts to advance the education of youth with disabilities.

George is the Director of the San IsiDro Care Centre at Aruligo in Guadalcanal.

He has been a brother for 57 years and has spent 42 years working in the Solomon Islands.

Last year he said he wanted to make it clear that the Care Centre is for every student with special needs in Solomon Islands.

He had to make the clarification because some people thought the Centre is only for "Catholic students."

Speaking to SIBC News Brother George made it clear San IsiDro Care Centre is not just for catholic students but welcomes anyone with special needs regardless of denomination and origin.

The aim of the Care Centre is to equip students with special needs so they know how to make a living for themselves, families and community as a whole.

The San Isi Dro Care Centre began in Aruligo in 2007 and has graduated more than 40 students to date.

Source

• sibconline.com.sb
• islandsun.com.sb
• Image: infoans.org

L'Arche is a global network of communities where those with and without developmental disabilities live side by side.

The network was begun in northern France in 1964 when Mr Vanier invited two intellectually disabled men to live with him as friends.

It has evolved into 147 L'Arche communities, in 35 countries.

A support group for families of people with disabilities, known as Faith and Light, has spread to 82 countries.

The Templeton Prize honours those who have made "exceptional contributions" to affirming the spiritual dimension of life.

Previous winners include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Dalai Lama and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Mr Vanier, who is a Catholic layman, said he will donate the prize money to his charities so they can expand their work internationally.

According to a Religion News Service report, Mr Vanier, 86, said that those with intellectual disabilities offer spiritual lessons and gifts to a world too driven by success and power.

"They are essentially people of the heart," he said.

"When they meet others they do not have a hidden agenda for power or for success. Their cry, their fundamental cry, is for a relationship, a meeting heart to heart.

"It is this meeting that awakens them, opens them up to life, and calls them forth to love in great simplicity, freedom and openness.

"When those ingrained in a culture of winning and of individual success really meet them, and enter into friendship with them, something amazing and wonderful happens.

"They too are opened up to love and even to God. They are changed at a very deep level. They are transformed and become more fundamentally human."

Mr Vanier has written 30 books on religion, normality, success and tolerance.

The Templeton Foundation, which awards the annual prize, was launched by the late Anglo-American financier and philanthropist, Sir John Templeton.

Sources

• Religion News Service
• The Independent
• Image: Catholic Ireland