As we explore Community Inclusion, it only makes sense that we look at it through the lens of religious and faith-based communities. As awareness grows about the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, some traditions and rituals—often rooted in centuries of sacred practice—have come under scrutiny. These rituals, while deeply meaningful, may inadvertently exclude or alienate members of the community who are unable to fully participate due to physical, intellectual, sensory, or mental health/behavioral disabilities.
This raises a challenging and deeply sensitive question: Should faith communities change long-standing rituals, traditions, or building structures to accommodate disability, even if it alters sacred practices?
For more on this topic, check out the following:
– The Disabled God, Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability by Nancy Eiesland
– Faith and Disability Project at Kennedy Krieger Institute
– Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
– Loving Our Own Bones – Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole by Julia Watts Belser
– Barriers to Participation in Faith-Based Communities – Infographic
