I do not know of any churches that would deny the intention to be inclusive of people with disabilities. Many of them would probably affirm that they are inclusive.
But are they?
It all comes down to what churches mean by inclusive. Often they use inclusive as a synonym for accessible. Even then, they have a narrow view of what it means to be accessible.
Accessibility is about getting people into the building. Often churches think about lifts, ramps, and accessible washrooms. It is actually more than that, but that is a topic for another day.
Accessibility, obviously, is a prerequisite for inclusion. People cannot be included if they are not present. But inclusion is so much more.
A church can have an entire row of disabled people in their building and not be inclusive. How much are the needs of the people, aside from physical accessibility, taken into account for the services? How are they included in the life of the church? Is there any place in leadership for people with disabilities?
These are important questions to ask.
The biggest problem I see for churches and disabilities is that too many congregations think the job is done when physical accessibility is achieved.
Churches need to think deeper about how to be more inclusive. If you are not sure how you are doing, perhaps ask someone with a disability in your church.
