Many people with various disabilities also have social fears, and pets comfort them.  Church’s are a very social environment.  Lets explore whether people with disabilities should be allowed to bring pets such as dogs to church.  Many people with various disabilities have assistance dogs, such as those that are blind or hearing impaired.  People with other disabilities such as Autism and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome often have companion dogs to help them cope with stressful and social situations.  To many disabled people their dogs are their lifelines, and without them they would have trouble coping.

In many states the American With Disabilities Act can be interpreted along with state level laws to allow people with disabilities to bring companion dogs anywhere they go, in order to help them function – but many people see this as an abuse of the intention of the American With Disabilities Act.  I have a dog myself – his name is Lucky.  I have decided that from now on any church I go to Lucky will be there with me, and if hes not welcome I am not welcome.  I have Aspergers Syndrome a form of Autism and have a lot of trouble being overwhelmed in social situations, even more so in large crowds like churches.

Do you think people with disabilities should be allowed to bring companion dogs to church?

Sometimes disabled people – especially those with mental impairments have outbursts in church.  How should churches handle this?  Should they be banned?  Should they be segregated from the rest of the church population?I think this is a very touchy subject.  Many people with disabilities often use unacceptable behaviors when crying for help – but at what point do churches have to draw the line?  Should people with disabilities be segregated from the rest of the church congregation during worship and teaching?  What would make segregation acceptable?

Churches must really be careful because of laws such as the American’s With Disabilities Act could easily result in a law suit if you ban someone, or treat someone different just because of a disability or impairment. Violating ADA can also result in a bunch of negative coverage for your church as well.  As people for disabilities are now more then ever starting to advocate for themselves accomodations must be made for those with disabilities – including those that effect behavior.

Obviously the safety of those in the church is a good reason to bar someone from attending.  But what about if they are a disruption during worship or teaching, should you bar them from attending then?  When do you draw the line on whats an acceptable reason to bar a disabled person from attending church?

If you do bar someone from attending – do you offer them any other form of church, such as a small group or a group of people to help this person out so that they can once again attend normal church?

I would love to hear what people have to say on this topic.  Its been in the news quite a bit in the last year, and I hope to gather some thoughts and opinions on this very touchy subject.

Churches can sometimes be extremely abusive to the disabled, without even knowing it.  Here are some tips on how churches can better serve those with disabilities and other special needs.Let People With Disabilties Say Their Own Needs

People with Disabilities often are trying to please everyone else, so often you have to push them to say their own needs.  This sounds kinda strange, but most people with disabilities really care about other people – often to a fault.  They will often sacrifice their own needs to please someone else.  Letting this go on for a significant ammount of time can be very draining and could result in someone not being comfortable at church anymore, anger towards the church and depression.

Dont Assume They Understand, or that they don’t understand

Assumptions are commonly made about those with disabilities as to their ability to comprehend and understand things.  Often times people think just because they are disabled that they can’t understand something, or that they will be able to understand it just fine.  This is why churches need to get time to personally get to know everyone that reguarley attends, even those with disabilities.  By getting to know people – you get to know their unique needs.

Don’t Segregate

Churches should not segregate those with disabilities like they would children during a service.  How would you like it if you were 40 years old and asked to leave the sanctuary during service at the same time of the children?  I think that’s enough on this one.

Patience

People with disabilities often have meltdowns, temper tantrums, and other emotional stuff attached to their lives.  These usually result from needs not being met, or being overwhelmed during the church service.  Don’t be afraid afterwords to ask what made them upset and how you can help fix it.

Your Suggestions For The List:

Please provide more suggestions in the comment box.

Sometimes when Christians with Disabilities complain about the non-acceptance of non-disabled Christians they are met with the almost an attitude of why.  People with disabilties desire companionship, friends, fun just like everyone else!.

As someone who has a disability I know what its like….. people have full time jobs, spouses, kids, and sleep.  But sometimes I wonder if it would be possible if people would be considering spending an hour or two a week with someone that has a disability at their church.  Consider taking them for a movie, out to eat, or something you would do with any of your other friends.  Recently one of my pastors took a another disabled individual to the bar to watch a band this person loved play.

But They Are So Shallow….

But disabled people are so shallow and spend the whole time talking about their lives, their problems and their drama.  Well grow up – wouldent you be doing the same thing if you had no friends too?  People often need friends to help them get through difficult things in life – and believe it or not disabled people are people too!

The church and christians need to consider treating disabled people more like people, not like a mop that needs to be put in the back closet during church service.  While people need to be more patient with people that have disabilities, love is patient.  So the question is do you love people or not?

Churches often have a hard time accepting and including disabled people in their communities of Christian Believers.  This is a quite common occurrence and sadly it often results in completely unnecessary pain.

With the close of many places that use to house disabled people such as hospitals and nursing homes and the move for these people to be much more involved in the community, people with disabilities are getting out and about more – and this includes going to church.  Many churches are having trouble accepting those with disabilities because well – its simply a new thing for many churches.  Society used to shut away the disabled in hospitals and nursing homes, for them never to be seen again – but its a huge blessing those times are over!

Some of the common things that go around churches are that “people with disabilities lack faith,”  “they don’t want to be healed,” or even they “are just lazy”.  I have even heard the thing that people are being oppressed by Satan.  I think its important to realize that any disability does not originate from God, but God is so miraculous that often he can use Satan’s work for good, and this is often seen with disabilities.

What can churches do?

Churches can help those with disabilities feel like part of the community – and its actually quite simple.  Communicate.  Church’s usually try and talk to their new members, and communicating with those that have disabilities is no different.  Just like everyone else, those with disabilities have unique needs as well.

Common needs for those with disabilties are:

• Transportation to and from church
• Mentors/Friendship with a small group of people
• Feeling like they are needed by the community and a valued part of the community
• Being invited and included in the fun things that the church community get involved in.

Really the needs of a disabled person are really not that different from those of the non-disabled.

For Those Without Disabilities: What can your church do better to help the disabled?
For Those With Disabilities: What can churches do better to help you?

Something not often thought about at a church until it happens is how the church is to handle people with both physical and mental impairments.  How to include people with impairments at first, make them feel needed and as part of a community can be challenging at first – even for those with the impairments, but God calls us to “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” according to Romans 12:10-13 (NIV).

I remember some of the awful things that have been said about people with disabilities in the church I still go to – these things tend to stick in my head.  “Maybe people with disabilities don’t try hard enough,” or things like “Maybe they just don’t have enough faith to be healed”.  Every time I hear these things my heart drops, because I know they are not true.  I know these things are not true as 2 Cor 12:9 (NIV) says “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Me in the sound booth

I have Aspergers Syndrome – which is a mild and rare form of Autism.  It makes dealing with large crowds, and social interaction very difficult and sometimes impossible.  When I first started going to my church I had a difficult time, and they had a difficult time with me.  It took me a while, but I found my area of service.  I work now in the soundbooth with Audio Visual gear during church services.  One of the blessing that comes with Aspergers Syndrome is usually one large obsession, mine is Technical stuff.

I have an aptitude for learning things that deal with tech very quickly, and I love learning how to use things – and make them work better.  Its also easier because when I’m the sound booth I’m somewhat isolated from the large crowds, and can socialize on my terms.  I feel included and needed as part of the church community which is extremely important to everyone.

So, how does your church help include those with impairments into the church community?