International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Over a quarter of a century ago, a piece of landmark legislation was drafted in the United Methodist Building in Washington, D.C. It was “The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.”

President George H. Bush signed it into law, and the law has paved the way for equal access for a variety of services and accommodations for American citizens with disabilities ever since. These areas include employment, state and local government, public accommodations and commercial facilities.

At the time of the passage of this law, I was serving as the pastor of an all-deaf congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. I saw in the subsequent years great improvements in the lives of my congregants due to the passage of the ADA.

For example, before 1990 a deaf person had no way of contacting people by phone who did not have a TTY device, a keyboard connected to a telephone receiver that typed words. Other hearing volunteers and I would often make phone calls for deaf people to set up doctor appointments, ordering birthday cakes or even making life-saving emergency 911 calls. The ADA established a relay service that empowered deaf people to make their calls either by TTY or video relay. This change was not only empowering, but it protected their privacy.

The provision of American Sign Language interpreters in hospitals, social service agencies and employment offices all became a requirement under this law. National and state parks provided captioning and professional interpreters for their deaf visitors.

But, the law isn’t just good for deaf people. The law requires accommodations be made for people with all kinds of disabilities (e.g., mobility, sensory, intellectual, etc.). It continues to empower and provide equality, though not without many court challenges.

There is still much prejudice and discrimination to overcome, but the ADA has provided a platform for this conversation and accommodation.

The ADA exempts religious communities from having to provide services and physical access to buildings and programs as part of the “separation of church and state” understanding of our Constitution. How sad it is that The United Methodist Church the United Methodist Congress of the Deaf 2015 survey identified less than 100 churches that provided sign language interpreters across our connection. Many of our houses of worship are inaccessible to wheelchairs, people with vision loss and the needs of children with autism and intellectual challenges are often left unmet.

Dr. Deborah Creamer, in her book “Disability and Christian Theology: Embodied Limits and Constructive Possibilities,” states, “Rather than being a structure for empowerment, religious organizations have more often supported the societal structures and attitudes that have treated people with disabilities as objects of pity and paternalism.”

Our challenge and directive as people of God is to be the voice of equality and empowerment and not mirror the patterns of the secular world. The United Methodist Social Principles affirms the rights of people with disabilities and urges the church and society to “be sensitive to and advocate for, programs for rehabilitation, services, employment, education, appropriate housing and transportation.”

Dec. 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The United Nations has promoted this worldwide observance since 1992. The intent is to “increase awareness of the gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.”

Take a moment on this first Sunday of Advent to lift up this important nuance of disability life. There are gains for everyone when all people, with their unique giftedness, are empowered and included. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth “…the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” (I Corinthians 12:22)

The church cannot afford to be without the full plethora of our giftedness! People with disabilities bring many skills and sensitivities that help us meet the challenges of this day. According to the U.N. statistics, there over 1 billion people in the world living with some form of disability. Learn more about how your church can be more aware, inclusive and empowering by the checking out the United Methodist Disability Ministries website.

There are numerous affordable and practical suggestions, and every church can do at least one new thing. Imagine the possibilities when we put our faith in action!

Bishop Peggy Johnson serves as the episcopal leader of the Philadelphia Area of the United Methodist Church, which includes the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference and the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference. She also serves on Church and Society’s board of directors.