FAITH AND DISABILITY While sixteen percent of the global population is disabled, religious communities and spaces around the world are replete with ableist barriers of all kinds, whether it’s a meditative pose that excludes certain bodies, a synagogue’s bimah only accessible by stairs or a Christian hymn that equates blindness with sin. Despite these setbacks, disabled leaders and allies have been advancing accessibility in their theology, worship practices and physical spaces. For many, accessibility isn’t just a matter of morality — it’s a spiritual duty. To learn more click here. Figure 12 the word faith surrounded by different faiths and disabilities.
Figure 13 rainbow background with zig-zag, colored lines going down the center of the flag diagonally
Additional resources: • Faith Communities and Inclusion of People with Developmental Disabilities https://thechp.syr.edu/faith-communities-and-inclusion-of-people-with-developmentaldisabilities/ • Disability in Islam: Insights into Theology, Law, History, and Practice https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270893538_Disability_in_Islam_Insights_into_ Theology_Law_History_and_Practice • Disability & Inclusion in Judaism - https://associationforjewishstudies.org/publicationsresearch/adventures-in-jewish-studies-podcast/disability-inclusion-in-judaism-transcript • Disability, Asian Religions, and Spirituality: Partnering with Faith-Based Organizations https://adopt.ahslabs.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2018/04/Chapter-10.pdf
UNDERSTANDING DISABILITY IN THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY Societal norms pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as norms around ability, often work to deny LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities opportunities that others enjoy in their daily lives. Some studies have even proposed that the traumatic effect of discrimination and rejection on LGBTQ+ people’s mental and physical health can itself be considered a disability. Disabled LGBTQ+ people who live at the intersection of these two identities can face compounded discrimination and stigmatization, and it is important for those who serve, interact with, and love and care for those individuals to understand this complex dynamic. To learn more, click here.
15
