"No Steps to Heaven"

This is an article from 1979 dealing with issues of inclusion.

I thought it would be interesting to "dig up" some information on this issue from over the years and see what issues were being adressed, for example, prior to the American with Disabilities Act.* (*This Act does not apply to churches, although many churches have voluntarily taken steps for better and improved access.)

The author of this article, Dr. Harold Wilke, writes:

"Underlying the presence of physical barriers in churches and seminaries is a set of still-perpetuated attitudinal barriers -- primarily the following: (1) low expectations on the part of both pastors and laypeople of just what a disabled person can do; (2) a psychologically defined negation, usually unconscious, reflecting the Jamesian response of “fight or fly”; (3) simple lack of experience with handicapped persons, and consequent embarrassment; (4) biblically derived sanctions, expressing thousands of years of tradition. It is this latter factor which constitutes the most formidable obstacle to progress."

This passage from Dr. Wilke's article, although written in 1979, raises concerns that remain in churches today.

Attitudinal barriers still exist despite some of the progress made in removing some of the physical barriers. When I speak to other people with disabilities who attend church a number of them report that their inclusion is marginal , where they attend services but have not achieved inclusion in other ways, such as having opportunities to be of service. ( Some report that although churches see the need for ramps, they often overlook the needs of the blind and Deaf in terms of accommodations.)

I am fortunate that I'm in a parish where service work is emphasized and there are many opportunities to participate. I have also participated in parish life in other ways - by attending many functions and religious studies. I've seen ways in which our parish "works around" accessibility issues and addresses these issues, even when it takes some courage. When I attended a bible studies class, the deacon discussed with me any accommodations I might need so that I could fully participate. Since I cannot turn pages while reading, I benefitted from his use of an overhead projector to display written materials, for example.

Personally, I experience the unconscious and unspoken assumptions as the biggest obstacles. As the author points out, the usually unconscious negation, low expectations and lack of experience and resultant embarrassment as well as traditional sanctions, usually underpin these assumptions. The difficulty lies in the fact that bringing them out into the open requires an awareness that they still exist - and a willingness and humility to be accountable.

This is not an easy task. Nor is it one many churches will address until a parishioner with disabilities arrives on the scene or a parishioner acquires a disability. At that point, building a ramp is only the beginning of dealing with inclusion issues. It is the tip of the iceberg.