Robertson-Wesley United recently hosted a workshop on Disabilities 101 with several guest speakers who advocate and are part of the community that have differing abilities. This was an opportunity to listen and reflect on where we have come as a society and a church in making things more accessible.

Rev. Karen Bridges asked Brooke Leifso who helped to facilitate this workshop the following questions:

Language is important. How has the language around disabilities evolved over the past century?
As with any marginalized population, language and labels change periodically. The pattern is that a word is used, stigma is placed upon the label and as a result the marginalized community or institutions change the term to something more nuanced, scientific, or empowering. Changing terms, however, does not displace or change the societal stigma, so the patterns can continue. A general idea is that any word that was commonplace 25 years ago that you would also describe as something bad (like the r-word), is no longer used. One exception to this is the word Crip. Similar to the word Queer it has been re-appropriated by the community to create an umbrella of people experiencing disability that are politicized: called to make the world more accessible.

Currently, the language that is generally acceptable are “people first language” and very specific to what we see, to not making assumptions. For example, person who uses tools, or a tool user when describing someone using a walker, person with a physical disability, person who lives with depression, etc. Also verbs are at the discretion of the person experiencing. “dealing with” MS, “surviving” depression, etc. making a judgement that having a diagnosis is awful for the individual. This is not always true. People can have joyful experiences with their disabilities. I live with my disability, I’m not surviving it because it doesn’t go away.

Something that is shifting for the positive, in my opinion, is that folks with disabilities are deciding how they disclose their disabilities. Growing up, there was a pressure to disclose my diagnosis and medical journey so people would stop staring and treat me like an equal. In the disability community now, we are advocating for not needing to confess our diagnoses for others curiosities. This is similar to not asking someone who is racialized where they’re from.

Some people like using ‘special needs’, or ‘different abilities’. These are acceptable too, but I always ask the intention around them. While they sound nicer, they can act as euphemistic terms if followed up with patronizing policies or institutions that don’t change despite the embedded idea of adaptation found in these words.

Language is tricky and very person specific! It’s good to ask individuals, including able-bodied, neurotypical people, their own ideas and politics around how they want their bodies and lived experiences described.

What are a few of the major issues or challenges facing people with differing abilities?

The workshop spoke about the biggest barrier people with differing abilities face is a lack of access to resources and adaptation. Roxanne told the people gathered that her medical supplies are rationed and she is expected to reuse and justify needing more supplies. She also shared with us how difficult it is to find accessible housing and work places. Many people I’ve worked with also complain about DATS, the Disabled Adults Transit Service. Users are given a 2 hour window for service, meaning peoples lives are governed by the unreliable system that can literally leave them out in the cold.

From working within the disability community and being a member of it, I would say the biggest barrier or challenge is a lack of access to income and reliable, accessible jobs. For example, many jobs are up flights of stairs, require heavy lifting, balancing, or regular long hours with limited sick pay. There have been studies that people with different abilities do not need tasks limited but rather adaptation such as different hours, work from home options or an office with an elevator and lowered desks.

As a community of faith how are we doing with ensuring people of all abilities can participate in the life of the church? 
The workshop asked participants to assess how accessible Robertson-Wesley was both as a building and as a church. The church has put resources into having an elevator and putting in ramps with smooth flooring and is presently working on making the kitchen more accessible with wider doors and a lower counter top. There were suggestions of live broadcasting worship, allowing in snacks and drinks (This is actually allowed as long as people clean up after themselves). Hearing assist and large print bulletins and hymn books are available for worship. Worship already allows people to come and go as needed, to move and make sound as needed. Robertson-Wesley is already doing so much!  There was a suggestion of captioning sermons and adding ASL interpretations to worship and other large events.

In other communities bringing in accessibility tools, the other element is outreaching to communities to let them know worship is available for all.

Robertson-Wesley United Church has an amazing community that deeply values being welcoming and inclusive. A growing edge might be: how to give people who are typically marginalized, positions of power/responsibility? The church has typically been a place to seek charity, but in the charity model there is a power dynamic that can keep people in unequal positions. This creates division and power dynamics that limit community building and social justice. A focus on Allyship would be a great next step.