People with disabilities and their family members are the experts in their care.…Don’t assume you know what they may need.…When we ask questions and take time to get to know each family, we grow in our relationship with them…changing attitudes toward people with disabilities, as we move past pity and toward friendship.

The Paralytic Friend

In Mark 2 we read about a group of friends who were facing some challenges. They had a friend who was a paralytic, and they wanted to get him to Jesus. A large crowd was with Jesus, and this group of friends didn’t have access to the room where Jesus was preaching. Verses 2-4 say, “And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.”

The friends have similar challenges to the ones we face today: no time (Jesus may only be passing through and there for a short time), no volunteers (it’s up to just the four friends), and no space (they can’t even open the door). But instead of seeing these as hindrances they can’t overcome, the friends use them as motivation. Getting their friend to Jesus is worth the extra steps they need to take.

Recent census data says that two in seven families in the US have a member with a disability—more than 20 percent of the population. And for many of them to have access to Jesus and our churches, we need to take steps like the friends took. Here are seven tips to help your church become more disability-friendly.

1. Apply universal design principles to your buildings and ministry spaces.

Existing church buildings are exempt from the Americans with Disability Act, but churches should still consider accessibility needs when updating their spaces. A ramp is accessible to more people than stairs. Wider stalls in bathrooms with handlebars are helpful for people with a variety of physical disabilities. Having a way to access the stage in a wheelchair allows more people the opportunity to lead the congregation in prayer or sing on the praise team. When evaluating your buildings, think about how to make the spaces accessible to everyone.

2. Advertise on your website.

Most special-needs families are going to visit your church’s website before they attend in person. They are looking for indications that their family will be welcome. Here are some ideas for communicating that they will be welcome. In the drop-down menu or list of ministries, you can list your special-needs or disability ministry as an option. On the page you create for your ministry, you can give information about the options your church provides, like buddies in the typical children’s ministry classes and if you have specialized classroom options for children, teens, and adults with more significant needs. You’ll want to make clear how they can visit you for the first time. You can supply a contact form or contact information for a ministry leader, or you can make available a registration form they can fill out. If certain classes are offered only at specific times, make that clear.

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