February 14, 2025 • 16 mins
Creating an inclusive church environment is essential for families impacted by disabilities. The episode highlights the emotional, social, and financial challenges these families face and shares practical strategies for churches to foster intentional inclusivity through accessibility, programming, and community engagement.
• Exploring the challenges faced by families with disabled members
• Higher rates of poverty and food insecurity among disabled families
• Importance of physical accessibility in church spaces
• Sensory accommodations for individuals with sensory processing challenges
• Strategies for inclusive youth and adult ministries
• The role of respite nights in providing support for parents
• Necessity of staff training to raise awareness about disability
• Importance of open communication and positive reinforcement in relationships
• Calling churches to embody inclusion as part of their mission
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to
Indispensable People.
I'm a wife, mom, teacher,pastor and missionary, and I
believe that every person shouldhave the opportunity to know
Christ, grow in Him and serveHim with the gifts that he has
given, no matter their ability.
Over 65 million Americans havea disability.
That's 25% of the population.
(00:26):
However, over 80% of them arenot inside the walls of our
church.
Let's dive into those hardtopics biblical foundations,
perceptions and world-changingideas.
Hey, hey, and welcome to thisepisode of Indispensable People.
(00:51):
Today, we're talking aboutfamilies.
We're talking about creating aninclusive church environment
for families that are impactedby disabilities, and why is this
important?
What are we talking about?
So we want to outline some keyaspects and strategies for
fostering an environment whereeveryone feels welcomed and
valued, and this includes mom,dad, brother, sister, caregivers
(01:16):
, whoever.
These are from the US Census.
Some of them are from otherstudies, but here's what we want
to remember as we're goingahead with this.
According to recent data,approximately one quarter of
families in the United Statesare impacted by disability,
(01:38):
meaning at least one member.
One family member has adisability, with these families
often experiencing lower incomelevels and higher likelihood of
poverty compared to familieswithout a disabled member.
Additionally, families with adisabled parent are more likely
to face economic hardship andfood insecurity compared to
(02:01):
those without a disabled parent.
Now, I love that thesestatistics include not just what
our stereotypical thought wouldbe of a child being taken care
of, but also we know that theonset of disability can come at
any point in time in life,through a health event, an
(02:23):
accident, whatever.
So it may be a parent or anadult loved one that you're
caring for.
So here's some other statisticsto think about.
Families with a disabled memberoften have fewer wage earners
and are more likely to be inpoverty.
Studies indicate that parentswith disabilities are more
(02:45):
likely to be in poverty.
Studies indicate that parentswith disabilities are more
likely to experience economichardship.
And here are some reasons why.
One, if the parent with adisability can't work, they
can't help provide in thosecases, and the provisions that
are made by the government arenot necessarily to a standard at
which would cover all of theneeds.
(03:06):
In addition to that, if it is achild in the family that is
being cared for and the parentis providing that care, and this
child has chronic illness,other things like that, then the
parent is either missing workor they are not able to work
(03:29):
because of those needs, andanother study actually showed
that a significant number ofcaregivers of children with
special needs reduce their workhours or leave jobs altogether,
costing their families anaverage of $18,000 per year in
lost earnings.
Now that's all about financials, but also let's take into
(03:53):
consideration that thosefamilies that are impacted by
disabilities, those parents thedivorce rate is in the 90s Also
isolation is high and the 90sAlso isolation is high.
There are so many layers to thisthat goes beyond the financials
(04:16):
and really impacts theemotional, social areas of life
as well.
So we can do some very basicthings as the church, and we can
start with making sure that ourbuildings are physically
accessible.
Why?
Because there's a parentpushing that wheelchair, there's
a parent helping their childget in and out, there's a grown
(04:39):
child taking care of a parentdoing those same things, all the
ease of using the restroom, howthey can sit together in the
church as a family All of thosethings impact how they feel
welcomed and the more easilyaccessible the building is, the
more likely they will be toattend.
(05:01):
So, for example, if you havepews in your church for someone
that has any kind of equipmentor uses a wheelchair, coming in
and having to sit either in theaisle or into a different,
separate space or maybe in theback of the church, that kind of
thing, it feels less welcoming.
(05:22):
And if you are going, listen,we have pews.
What in the world do you thinkthat we're going to do?
And I know that that's a verydifficult thing.
I know I have had churches comeand they have done a little bit
of construction, woodwork, andthey have cut down the pew so
(05:42):
that person can sit not in theaisle but included in the church
.
We in my sanctuary at my church, we have seats that are bolted
down to the floor so they're notmovable.
That creates difficulty.
We unbolted seats and placedopen spaces for wheelchairs and
(06:04):
then next to those seats we havea covering on the chair that is
indicate for handicapaccessible so that their family
members can sit with them.
So those are some very, verysimple things that you can think
about doing Clearing space,making sure there's not
cluttered aisleways, making sureit's easy to get in and out of
(06:26):
spaces and through doors andthat kind of stuff.
Also, considering sensoryaccommodations we've spent a few
episodes talking about thedifferent things that can be
done.
Providing quiet spaces orsensory rooms, having sensory
bags with noise-cancelingheadphones or earbuds, creating
visual aids to support theparticipation in service All of
(06:50):
those things are going to helpmake your space friendly and
welcoming and make it easier tobe there and be a part of church
.
In addition to that, consideryour communication methods.
Do you have sign languageinterpreters?
Do you have written materialsavailable?
Do you have closed captioning?
(07:12):
Do you have visual descriptionsfor things?
All of that kind of stuff thathelps build that space of
inclusion and participation sothat people don't feel isolated
and segregated and a burden.
Also, consider your inclusion inyour ministries, whether it's
(07:33):
children or youth or adults.
You want to integrate childrenwith disabilities into existing
programs with the necessarysupport, whether that's a buddy
system with breaks put in mind,all of that kind of stuff that
goes along with youth groups andadult classes where you can
offer those supports to includeindividuals with disabilities in
these groups.
(07:53):
Sometimes all it requires isanother person who becomes a
navigation system to supportthat individual to participate.
You can also have specializedprograms available, such as
respite nights.
If your church has sportsprograms, you can have adapted
(08:14):
sports programs.
You can provide art classes,doing different things that
specifically meet the needs ofthose with disabilities.
With it I will speak to theends of the earth about the
importance of a respite programand how incredibly important we
do two and a half hours once amonth and how incredibly
important we do two and a halfhours once a month and our
parents love it.
(08:35):
That also gives us a chance toshare the gospel disciple and
build long lasting relationshipswith those individuals so that
they can love coming to churchwhen they know what the church
is about, when they can sharethe love of Jesus with them.
And I will tell you, I have alot of families who will bring
their individual for a respitenight that don't regularly
(08:57):
attend church and that becomes apoint of connection with us.
So through all of that, youwant to make sure that you're
training your staff and yourvolunteers.
Build up that disabilityawareness.
We don't want to accidentallymake someone feel unwelcomed
(09:18):
because we didn't attempt tounderstand their situation.
We're not going to get it allright.
We're not going to know all thethings, we're not going to have
every tool in the toolbox thatevery person is going to need,
but we can have some disabilityawareness, we can use some
disability etiquette, we canknow about talking directly to
(09:41):
the individual and not just totheir caregiver.
We can know that we don'tnecessarily need to know their
disability label and all ofthose kinds of things.
We just want to say, hey guys,we are so glad you're here, we
love you and can you help usknow how to best serve you and
what that looks like.
(10:03):
So, keeping family communicationopen, that open dialogue.
We don't want to come to themgiving them all the negative
reports and just focusing on thebad and the difficult.
We want to make sure that wehighlight the good, that we show
them the things that they wereable to participate in and be a
part of.
Yes, there is going to becommunication needed for certain
(10:26):
things that may not be the bestor the what you want to talk
about, but they are going to benecessary.
But if you're negative, thecommunication will break down
and will slow down.
But if you show how much youlove and are excited that their
individual is there and with you, then they're going to be open
to those harder conversations.
(10:48):
We want to make sure that eachand every church is a welcoming
experience where we can haveshared experiences, because
having the church accessible,remember, goes back to.
It's not just physical, it'salso social and spiritual.
So we want to make sure thatthey can get in the building,
(11:08):
maneuver about the building,feel comfortable in the building
.
But we also want to make surethat we look at people with
disabilities as those we canbuild friendships with, that we
can be co-laborers in Christwith, and that we can do what
scripture says and lift oneanother up, carry each other's
burdens, be there for each otherand help, because every person
(11:32):
is supposed to be a part of thebody of Christ.
So we want to remember that.
We want to make sure that weare discipling and we are being
purposeful in sharing the gospelso that people of all abilities
have the opportunity to knowChrist and to grow in him and we
(11:52):
believe that they can serve himwith the gifts that he's given.
I want to highlight a blog thatwas written by Ellen Stumbo a
few years ago and she really, ifyou ever get a chance, read
into some of her stuff.
Ellen Stumbo, she is a speakerand a writer and she has this
(12:15):
great understanding for servingpeople with disabilities because
she lives it.
And part of her blog says Iparent two disabled kids and I
have been told multiple timesI'm so brave, and in parentheses
it says insert eye roll.
Maybe I should start askingpeople exactly what they mean by
(12:36):
that phrase.
I wonder if they realize howproblematic that comment is.
Do they think that I am bravefor taking my kids out in public
?
But why wouldn't I?
Anyone paying attention wouldrecognize that we are a family,
same as everybody else.
One of our kids uses awheelchair and one of our kids
may be hard to understand whenshe speaks, but what exactly is
(12:57):
brave about that?
Do they think I'm brave forparenting my kids?
Do they think I would abandonthem?
These are my kids, disabled ornot.
Why would I not parent my kids?
Isn't that what all parents do?
Do they think I'm brave forproviding for their needs?
Wouldn't they do the same thingfor their kids?
Or are they suggesting that iftheir kid was disabled, they
(13:20):
wouldn't provide the availablesupports at home and in the
community?
I think saying you are so braveis supposed to be a compliment,
but it's not Worse.
This has been said to me infront of my kids, with the look
of pity directed at my children.
Please do not make assumptionsabout what parenting my kids is
(13:43):
like.
I do think parenting in generalis brave because the
responsibility we have to loveand protect and raise other
humans can be overwhelming.
It is brave to parent kids in aworld that is so divided and
lacking kindness.
But this is a reality for allparents, not something reserved
for those raising disabled kids.
(14:04):
As a parent, I do need support,I do need words of affirmation,
I need to be reminded I'm doinga good job, because this
parenting thing is hard work.
And so then she lists a couplethings that she says that you
could say to support parentslike her You're a great mom or
you're a great dad, you're agreat advocate for your kid.
(14:26):
I loved how you stood up foryour kid.
I appreciate that you havehelped me understand your world
a little better.
And then she says now, if yousee me skydiving, yes, please do
call me brave.
But I think that gives us agreat visual of great
(14:47):
understanding into understandingthose who are caregiving for an
individual with a disability.
They want to be supported, theywant to be included.
They don't want necessarily tobe seen as something special,
above beyond or whatever, fordoing the basic things that
their kids need, just likeanyone else's or the individuals
(15:09):
that they're caring for.
So support them, love them.
Don't look at them in pity,don't look at them with a lack
of, you know, compassion fortheir life, but support them
where they're at, love themwhere they're at, include them
(15:29):
at all in all possibilities, andlet them know that they were
created in the image of God,that they are loved by the God
who chose to create them, thathe has a plan and a purpose for
their life.
And yes, I'm talking about theparents and the caregivers,
because it is the same for themthat God created their
(15:51):
individual that has a disabilityand has a plan for their life.
He knows them, loves them,never leaves them, provides for
them, and part of his provisionfor them is the body of Christ,
is the church.
So let's be that body of Christ, let's be the church to all
(16:12):
people.
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to
Indispensable People.
I'm a wife, mom, teacher,pastor and missionary, and I
believe that every person shouldhave the opportunity to know
Christ, grow in Him and serveHim with the gifts that he has
given, no matter their ability.
Over 65 million Americans havea disability.
That's 25% of the population.
(00:26):
However, over 80% of them arenot inside the walls of our
church.
Let's dive into those hardtopics biblical foundations,
perceptions and world-changingideas.
Hey, hey, and welcome to thisepisode of Indispensable People.
(00:51):
Today, we're talking aboutfamilies.
We're talking about creating aninclusive church environment
for families that are impactedby disabilities, and why is this
important?
What are we talking about?
So we want to outline some keyaspects and strategies for
fostering an environment whereeveryone feels welcomed and
valued, and this includes mom,dad, brother, sister, caregivers
(01:16):
, whoever.
These are from the US Census.
Some of them are from otherstudies, but here's what we want
to remember as we're goingahead with this.
According to recent data,approximately one quarter of
families in the United Statesare impacted by disability,
(01:38):
meaning at least one member.
One family member has adisability, with these families
often experiencing lower incomelevels and higher likelihood of
poverty compared to familieswithout a disabled member.
Additionally, families with adisabled parent are more likely
to face economic hardship andfood insecurity compared to
(02:01):
those without a disabled parent.
Now, I love that thesestatistics include not just what
our stereotypical thought wouldbe of a child being taken care
of, but also we know that theonset of disability can come at
any point in time in life,through a health event, an
(02:23):
accident, whatever.
So it may be a parent or anadult loved one that you're
caring for.
So here's some other statisticsto think about.
Families with a disabled memberoften have fewer wage earners
and are more likely to be inpoverty.
Studies indicate that parentswith disabilities are more
(02:45):
likely to be in poverty.
Studies indicate that parentswith disabilities are more
likely to experience economichardship.
And here are some reasons why.
One, if the parent with adisability can't work, they
can't help provide in thosecases, and the provisions that
are made by the government arenot necessarily to a standard at
which would cover all of theneeds.
(03:06):
In addition to that, if it is achild in the family that is
being cared for and the parentis providing that care, and this
child has chronic illness,other things like that, then the
parent is either missing workor they are not able to work
(03:29):
because of those needs, andanother study actually showed
that a significant number ofcaregivers of children with
special needs reduce their workhours or leave jobs altogether,
costing their families anaverage of $18,000 per year in
lost earnings.
Now that's all about financials, but also let's take into
(03:53):
consideration that thosefamilies that are impacted by
disabilities, those parents thedivorce rate is in the 90s Also
isolation is high and the 90sAlso isolation is high.
There are so many layers to thisthat goes beyond the financials
(04:16):
and really impacts theemotional, social areas of life
as well.
So we can do some very basicthings as the church, and we can
start with making sure that ourbuildings are physically
accessible.
Why?
Because there's a parentpushing that wheelchair, there's
a parent helping their childget in and out, there's a grown
(04:39):
child taking care of a parentdoing those same things, all the
ease of using the restroom, howthey can sit together in the
church as a family All of thosethings impact how they feel
welcomed and the more easilyaccessible the building is, the
more likely they will be toattend.
(05:01):
So, for example, if you havepews in your church for someone
that has any kind of equipmentor uses a wheelchair, coming in
and having to sit either in theaisle or into a different,
separate space or maybe in theback of the church, that kind of
thing, it feels less welcoming.
(05:22):
And if you are going, listen,we have pews.
What in the world do you thinkthat we're going to do?
And I know that that's a verydifficult thing.
I know I have had churches comeand they have done a little bit
of construction, woodwork, andthey have cut down the pew so
(05:42):
that person can sit not in theaisle but included in the church
.
We in my sanctuary at my church, we have seats that are bolted
down to the floor so they're notmovable.
That creates difficulty.
We unbolted seats and placedopen spaces for wheelchairs and
(06:04):
then next to those seats we havea covering on the chair that is
indicate for handicapaccessible so that their family
members can sit with them.
So those are some very, verysimple things that you can think
about doing Clearing space,making sure there's not
cluttered aisleways, making sureit's easy to get in and out of
(06:26):
spaces and through doors andthat kind of stuff.
Also, considering sensoryaccommodations we've spent a few
episodes talking about thedifferent things that can be
done.
Providing quiet spaces orsensory rooms, having sensory
bags with noise-cancelingheadphones or earbuds, creating
visual aids to support theparticipation in service All of
(06:50):
those things are going to helpmake your space friendly and
welcoming and make it easier tobe there and be a part of church
.
In addition to that, consideryour communication methods.
Do you have sign languageinterpreters?
Do you have written materialsavailable?
Do you have closed captioning?
(07:12):
Do you have visual descriptionsfor things?
All of that kind of stuff thathelps build that space of
inclusion and participation sothat people don't feel isolated
and segregated and a burden.
Also, consider your inclusion inyour ministries, whether it's
(07:33):
children or youth or adults.
You want to integrate childrenwith disabilities into existing
programs with the necessarysupport, whether that's a buddy
system with breaks put in mind,all of that kind of stuff that
goes along with youth groups andadult classes where you can
offer those supports to includeindividuals with disabilities in
these groups.
(07:53):
Sometimes all it requires isanother person who becomes a
navigation system to supportthat individual to participate.
You can also have specializedprograms available, such as
respite nights.
If your church has sportsprograms, you can have adapted
(08:14):
sports programs.
You can provide art classes,doing different things that
specifically meet the needs ofthose with disabilities.
With it I will speak to theends of the earth about the
importance of a respite programand how incredibly important we
do two and a half hours once amonth and how incredibly
important we do two and a halfhours once a month and our
parents love it.
(08:35):
That also gives us a chance toshare the gospel disciple and
build long lasting relationshipswith those individuals so that
they can love coming to churchwhen they know what the church
is about, when they can sharethe love of Jesus with them.
And I will tell you, I have alot of families who will bring
their individual for a respitenight that don't regularly
(08:57):
attend church and that becomes apoint of connection with us.
So through all of that, youwant to make sure that you're
training your staff and yourvolunteers.
Build up that disabilityawareness.
We don't want to accidentallymake someone feel unwelcomed
(09:18):
because we didn't attempt tounderstand their situation.
We're not going to get it allright.
We're not going to know all thethings, we're not going to have
every tool in the toolbox thatevery person is going to need,
but we can have some disabilityawareness, we can use some
disability etiquette, we canknow about talking directly to
(09:41):
the individual and not just totheir caregiver.
We can know that we don'tnecessarily need to know their
disability label and all ofthose kinds of things.
We just want to say, hey guys,we are so glad you're here, we
love you and can you help usknow how to best serve you and
what that looks like.
(10:03):
So, keeping family communicationopen, that open dialogue.
We don't want to come to themgiving them all the negative
reports and just focusing on thebad and the difficult.
We want to make sure that wehighlight the good, that we show
them the things that they wereable to participate in and be a
part of.
Yes, there is going to becommunication needed for certain
(10:26):
things that may not be the bestor the what you want to talk
about, but they are going to benecessary.
But if you're negative, thecommunication will break down
and will slow down.
But if you show how much youlove and are excited that their
individual is there and with you, then they're going to be open
to those harder conversations.
(10:48):
We want to make sure that eachand every church is a welcoming
experience where we can haveshared experiences, because
having the church accessible,remember, goes back to.
It's not just physical, it'salso social and spiritual.
So we want to make sure thatthey can get in the building,
(11:08):
maneuver about the building,feel comfortable in the building
.
But we also want to make surethat we look at people with
disabilities as those we canbuild friendships with, that we
can be co-laborers in Christwith, and that we can do what
scripture says and lift oneanother up, carry each other's
burdens, be there for each otherand help, because every person
(11:32):
is supposed to be a part of thebody of Christ.
So we want to remember that.
We want to make sure that weare discipling and we are being
purposeful in sharing the gospelso that people of all abilities
have the opportunity to knowChrist and to grow in him and we
(11:52):
believe that they can serve himwith the gifts that he's given.
I want to highlight a blog thatwas written by Ellen Stumbo a
few years ago and she really, ifyou ever get a chance, read
into some of her stuff.
Ellen Stumbo, she is a speakerand a writer and she has this
(12:15):
great understanding for servingpeople with disabilities because
she lives it.
And part of her blog says Iparent two disabled kids and I
have been told multiple timesI'm so brave, and in parentheses
it says insert eye roll.
Maybe I should start askingpeople exactly what they mean by
(12:36):
that phrase.
I wonder if they realize howproblematic that comment is.
Do they think that I am bravefor taking my kids out in public
?
But why wouldn't I?
Anyone paying attention wouldrecognize that we are a family,
same as everybody else.
One of our kids uses awheelchair and one of our kids
may be hard to understand whenshe speaks, but what exactly is
(12:57):
brave about that?
Do they think I'm brave forparenting my kids?
Do they think I would abandonthem?
These are my kids, disabled ornot.
Why would I not parent my kids?
Isn't that what all parents do?
Do they think I'm brave forproviding for their needs?
Wouldn't they do the same thingfor their kids?
Or are they suggesting that iftheir kid was disabled, they
(13:20):
wouldn't provide the availablesupports at home and in the
community?
I think saying you are so braveis supposed to be a compliment,
but it's not Worse.
This has been said to me infront of my kids, with the look
of pity directed at my children.
Please do not make assumptionsabout what parenting my kids is
(13:43):
like.
I do think parenting in generalis brave because the
responsibility we have to loveand protect and raise other
humans can be overwhelming.
It is brave to parent kids in aworld that is so divided and
lacking kindness.
But this is a reality for allparents, not something reserved
for those raising disabled kids.
(14:04):
As a parent, I do need support,I do need words of affirmation,
I need to be reminded I'm doinga good job, because this
parenting thing is hard work.
And so then she lists a couplethings that she says that you
could say to support parentslike her You're a great mom or
you're a great dad, you're agreat advocate for your kid.
(14:26):
I loved how you stood up foryour kid.
I appreciate that you havehelped me understand your world
a little better.
And then she says now, if yousee me skydiving, yes, please do
call me brave.
But I think that gives us agreat visual of great
(14:47):
understanding into understandingthose who are caregiving for an
individual with a disability.
They want to be supported, theywant to be included.
They don't want necessarily tobe seen as something special,
above beyond or whatever, fordoing the basic things that
their kids need, just likeanyone else's or the individuals
(15:09):
that they're caring for.
So support them, love them.
Don't look at them in pity,don't look at them with a lack
of, you know, compassion fortheir life, but support them
where they're at, love themwhere they're at, include them
(15:29):
at all in all possibilities, andlet them know that they were
created in the image of God,that they are loved by the God
who chose to create them, thathe has a plan and a purpose for
their life.
And yes, I'm talking about theparents and the caregivers,
because it is the same for themthat God created their
(15:51):
individual that has a disabilityand has a plan for their life.
He knows them, loves them,never leaves them, provides for
them, and part of his provisionfor them is the body of Christ,
is the church.
So let's be that body of Christ, let's be the church to all
(16:12):
people.
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