Including Adults with Physical Disabilities in the Church

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What you may not realize is that many adults in this situation are marginally or no longer active in the local church. My project will investigate this phenomenon from the perspective of the adult individual with disabilities rather than that of the caregiver. The information will then be compared and shared with senior church leadership to raise awareness of the second largest minority group in the United States (Institute on Disability, 2011). 

I am Anita Callahan. I have not always been disabled. It wasn't until my late twenties that symptoms began to appear of various physical problems that would eventually lead to my leaving the workforce, unable to hold a forty-hour-a-week position of any kind in my early fifties. It began with my left hip becoming increasingly painful to walk on, until one day, I was unable to walk because of sharp pains. It took several years to diagnose the problem. Eventually, I was diagnosed with a form of arthritis (ankylosis spondylitis) that is inherited. It is an episodic disability that comes and goes. It is a rare type of autoimmune disease that causes arthritis in the spine. It's a lifelong condition that usually starts in the lower back. It can spread up to the neck or damage joints in other parts of the body (Braverman, J. 2024). In my case, it affected both my eyes and my digestive system. For years, I walked with a cane (sometimes two). I still have difficulties with bright lights.

About the same time, I was diagnosed with chronic migraines. Neither of these conditions affected my ability to work. I completed my PhD in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management. I taught Industrial Engineering, Engineering Management, and Technology and Ethics for fifteen years. Then, I became completely disabled. For some yet unknown reason, I lost the ability to speak above a whisper. Later, I broke both femurs (different accidents) and was confined to a wheelchair for several weeks each time; I graduated to the use of a walker and now require the use of a cane only occasionally. 

This story is important because while I thought I was aware of the obstacles an individual with disabilities faced in daily life, I soon discovered I hadn't a clue. The issues I encountered in the church were even more subtle. The church had ramps, parking places, and restrooms for individuals with mobility problems, but they weren’t always accessible. 

The rows designated for users of mobility devices and their companions were placed at the back of a section of pews for non-disabled individuals. There was plenty of space to accommodate individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. The problem with the place chosen to provide space for these individuals is that when the congregation was asked to stand, I could only see the backs of the non-disabled individuals in front of me. I could not see the platform or the screens. This difficulty still exists in our newly remodeled sanctuary. 

I attend a church that uses contemporary music with accompanying bright lights. Both the music and the lights can, on occasion, cause either sharp eye pains (commonly known as an ice-pick headache) or trigger a migraine. I have had to leave the service. For other worshippers who have epilepsy, these same lights/music can trigger seizures. There is no place in the sanctuary where the lights or the music is tempered. There is no place for me to go when this happens but home. 

The loss of my speaking voice is, perhaps, the most difficult to deal with. For years, I had been a Sunday school teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, conference speaker, and choir member. Suddenly, I could do none of them. For a while, I didn't attend church because I could not participate. I would get phone calls (my husband fielded them because my voice was not strong enough to be heard) asking why I wasn't there on Sunday mornings. When told I could no longer speak (or sing), I was told I could either mouth the words or sit out the worship portion of the service. 

When I returned, I was faced with similar difficulties as recounted by Amy Kenny (2022) in her book. With good intentions, congregants wanted to pray for me. But what they wanted to pray for was that I would get my voice back. A choir member actually told me that when I was ready to get my voice back, I should see her. She would pray, and my voice would be restored. While I do believe in miracles, I also knew that my laryngeal nerve had been damaged during a medical procedure, and the likelihood that I would whisper for the rest of my life was very high. I politely asked her to pray for God's Will instead.

I began to learn sign language to participate in corporate worship. I asked to return to the choir as a signing member rather than a singing member. At first, I heard nothing back. One day, I stopped by the church and asked to speak to the music director about rejoining the choir. I was not only told "no," but I was also told that "members of the congregation found signing to be distracting and offensive." It was only ten years later that the church provided a sign language interpreter. Today, I not only sign to participate in corporate worship but also serve as a coworship leader, jointly sign contemporary Christian concerts (Big Daddy Weave, Colton Dixon), and direct/teach a group of seniors at our living facility who are learning sign language (Silent Singers).

Often, terms such as disease, disorder, disability, and medical condition are interchangeably used. A clear understanding of the meaning of these terms is necessary. 

Disease: A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body. 

Disorder: A disorder is a functional abnormality or disturbance. 

Disability: A disability is any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions). (India | Education India, nd) 

Physical Disabilities

Vision: Visual impairment (vision impairment, vision disability) is a decreased ability to see to a degree that causes problems that are not fixable by usual means, such as glasses or medication. (Morelle, 2016) 

Movement: Mobility impairment is a category of disability that includes people with varying physical disabilities. This type of disability includes upper or lower limb loss or disability, manual dexterity, and disability in coordination with different body organs. (Mobility and Physical Disabilities | Disabilities | Accessibility.com, nd.) 

Communicating: Communication disorders affect a person's ability to detect, receive, process, and comprehend the concepts or symbols necessary for communication. They can affect hearing, language, and speech (American Speech Language-Hearing Association, 1993). 

Hearing: Hearing disabilities include a broad spectrum of experiences for people who may identify as Deaf or hard of hearing or who may experience a range of limitations in perceiving auditory information (Hearing Disabilities— Disability and Access, nd.). 

The remaining five disabilities are beyond the scope of this project because the majority of these impairments are diagnosed before the age of 21. 

   • Thinking 

   • Remembering 

   • Learning 

   • Mental health 

   • Social relationships 

The purpose of this project is not to debate the origins of disabilities but to confront the reality that many persons with disabilities face obstacles in the church environment and to raise awareness of the lack of accommodation for many with disabilities. However, to understand congregations' and church leadership's present responses toward individuals with disabilities, it is necessary to review three current theological perspectives on disability. 

The Resurrection Body: Using Revelation 21:4 (God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”) as the basis for this view of individuals with disabilities, the premise is that there will be no disabilities in the New Heaven. As a corollary to this, the fall of humanity is the cause of all diseases, disorders, and disabilities. Amos Yong (2011) interprets this perspective as “removing all symptoms related to the tragic character of life dominated by sin.” The logical conclusion of this view is that all disabilities will be erased. However, some disabilities are firmly engrained in the identity of the person. A person with Down Syndrome would no longer suffer the consequences of an extra chromosome in this view. Would the erasure of the disability erase the individual? Would that imply that only non-disabled persons will be recognizable in the New Kingdom? 

Jesus’ Resurrected Body: This theory equates the scars on Jesus’ resurrected body with disabilities, the argument being that the resurrected body of Christ was now impaired. If Jesus is the perfect priest to offer the perfect sacrifice, then Leviticus 21:17-23 no longer pertains. 

“Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food, yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’ ” 

The scars on Jesus Christ do not impede Him from serving as our High Priest. Neither do the bodily impairments that made the individual with a disability a second-class worshipper exist. They are regarded as individuals who remind the nondisabled church members of the suffering of Christ. The difficulty with this approach is that the individual with a disability is still set apart from the rest of the congregation — not as a victim, but as a hero. (Kenny, 2022). 

Liberatory Theology: This perspective on disability emphasizes the presence of the poor, the blind, and the lame, who are explicitly mentioned in the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14:1-24. (Eiesland, 1994). 

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So, taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” And they had nothing to say. 

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then, you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back, and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” 

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’“ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ” 

The central focus of this theory is to move beyond the scars on Jesus’ body toward redemption rather than the elimination of any disabilities. Individuals with disabilities will be at the final banquet “just as they are, not with their impairments erased or made invisible.” (Yong, 2011). 

Biblical Doctrines

The Artistic Theologian summarizes three biblical doctrines to advance the argument for the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the church (Artistic Theologian, 2020). 

The first doctrine is: Imago Dei, or the Image of God. Grudem (1994) states: Every single human being, no matter how much the image of God is marred by sin, illness, weakness, age, or any other disability, still has the status of being in God’s image and, therefore, must be treated with dignity and respect that is due to God’s image-bearer. This has profound implications for our conduct toward others. It means that people of every race deserve equal dignity and rights. It means that older people, those seriously ill, the mentally retarded, children yet unborn, deserve full protection and honor as human beings.

The second doctrine: supporting the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the local church is the doctrine of Spiritual Gifts. Everyone who is a believer is graced with individualized gifts — including those with disabilities. 

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measures of faith that God has assigned…having gifts that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them. (Romans 12:3,6) 

The third doctrine: suggested by The Artistic Theologian is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20): “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” There are no exceptions based on disability! 

The emphasis of the project is not on how disabilities originate nor on the various Theologies of Disability but rather on how to accommodate worshippers with physical disabilities. 

Looking at Jesus as the model, it is apparent that Jesus did not avoid encounters with individuals with diseases, disorders, or disabilities. A survey of thirty of the forty-two recorded (thirty-three if one includes death as the ultimate disability) (Boyton, nd) miracles or seventy-one percent (seventy-nine percent) of the miracles performed by Jesus as recounted in the Gospels, it is obvious that Jesus did not shy away from disenfranchised. 

His parable of the Good Samaritan is an example of His concern for the disabled (Luke 10:25-37). 

Like the findings of a recent survey by SCOPE (the disability equality charity in England and Wales) which revealed that sixty-seven percent of people surveyed admitted to avoiding disabled people.” (SCOPE, 2015), the priest and the Levite crossed to the other side of the road to avoid contacting the injured individual. Interestingly enough, they make up sixty-seven percent of the travelers that Jesus spoke about when telling the parable. Jesus commended the Samaritan, who was despised by the Jews, for his care and concern. Shouldn’t we as followers of Christ follow His examples of caring for individuals with diseases, disorders, or disabilities? 

"A common perception of churches that aren’t engaging in ministry with the disabled is that they do not have members with disabilities. Yet given the demographics of disability (and its invisibility in many cases), it is likely that these churches do have disabled members but don’t know it." – S. Willhauck, 2023  

Scripture has examples of individuals with disabilities being used by God. Individuals with disabilities include Jacob (lameness from his hip being dislocated), Moses (an undisclosed speech impairment), Ehud (at the time, being left-handed was considered a disability), Mephibosheth (inability to walk after a fall), and Paul (a thorn in the flesh). What we do know is that God used each of these and other unnamed individuals with disabilities to further His purpose. What are we missing when we don’t provide avenues for individuals with disabilities to fully participate in the life of the local church? That is the purpose of this project. 

Biblical References  

Genesis 32:22-31 - - Jacob’s Lameness

Exodus 4:10 - - Moses’ Speech

Leviticus 21:17-23 - - The Resurrected Body (…the perfect priest)

Judges 3:12-30 - - Ehud’s Left Handedness

2 Samuel 9:1-12 - - Mephibosheth’s Lameness

Matthew 28:19-20 - - Great Commission 

Luke 10:25-37 - - The Good Samaritan

Luke 14: 14:1-24 - - Liberatory Theology (The Great Banquet) 

Romans 12: 3,6 - - Spiritual Gifts

2 Corinthians 12: 6-10 - - Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh

Revelation 21:4 - - The Resurrection Body (…no more tears…)

Other Selected  References

American speech-Language-Hearing Association. (1993) Definitions of communication disorders and variations [Relevant Paper]. Available from www.asha.org/policy. doi:10.1044policy.RP1993-00208

Braverman, Jody. (2024). ankylosing spondylitis. web md. August 29, 2024, https://www.webmd.com/ankylosing-spondylitis/what-is-ankylosing-spondylitis

Carter, E. W., Koehler, A. L., Spann, E. E., & Weber, M. A. (2023). “And Then COVID Happened…”: The Impact on Ministry and Disability in Local Churches. Review of Religious Research, 65(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/0034673X231202052

Carter, E. W., Tuttle, M., Spann, E., Ling, C., & Jones, T. B. (2023). Addressing Accessibility Within the Church: Perspectives of People with Disabilities. Journal of Religion and Health, 62(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01508-6

Carter, E. W., Tuttle, M., Spann, E., Ling, C., & Jones, T. B. (2024). Toward Accessible Worship: The Experiences and Insights of Christians with Disabilities. Journal of Disability and Religion, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/23312521.2023.2197435

Eiesland, N. The Disabled God toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability. Nashville, Tenn. Abingdon Press [19]98, 1994.

Grcevich, S. Adults with Disabilities and Church Attendance…What Does the Data Say? Church4everychild, 4 Aug. 2013, https://church4everychild.org/2013/08/04/adults-with-disabilities-and-church-attendance-what-does-the-data-say/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.

Grudem, W. Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, Inter-Varsity, 1994, p. 450.

Hearing Disabilities - Disability and Access. https://community.utexas.edu/disability/deaf-and-hard-of-hearing/, nd.

India | Education India. https://www.theeducationindia.com/advertise-with-us. nd

———- “Including Disabled in the Church: More than a Ramp.” Artistic Theologian, 2020. artistictheologian.com/2020/05/08/including-disabled-in-the-church-more-than-a-ramp/. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.

Institute on Disability. University of New Hampshire. Report Finds Significant Health Disparities for People with Disabilities. August 25, 2011

Kessler Foundation/National Organization on Disability. The 2010 Survey of Americans With Disabilities. http://www.2010DisabilitySurveys.org.

Kenny, A. My Body Is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church. Brazos Press, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2022. 

Morelle, M. Challenges Experienced by Learners with Visual Impairment in Two Mainstream Primary Schools in Klerksdorp, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District. 2016, https://core.ac.uk/download/95521566.pdf

Mobility and Physical Disabilities | Disabilities | Accessibility.com. https://www.accessibility.com/disabilities/mobility-physical, nd.

Prabhu, S.R. (2023). Disease, Disorder, and Disability. In: Textbook of General Pathology for Dental Students. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31244-1_3, Prabhu, Smitha. "Disease, Disorder, and Disability." 2023, https://doi.org10.1007/978-3-031-31244-1_3.

SCOPE, Disability Sunday Pack, 2015. Churches for All, http://churchesforall.org.uk/disabilitysunday/)

Willhauck, S. “The Sin of Ableism.” The Christian Century, 2023. www.christiancentury.org/sin-of-ableism. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.

Yong, A. The Bible, Disability, and the Church: A New Vision of the People of God. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2011