<p>​<strong>Deshawn’s Story</strong></p><div>It’s the year 1991 and it’s a typical school day for 8-year-old Deshawn. Deshawn is an African American youth in third grade. He gets on the bus and all the children around him are so excited to go to school. He wonders, “Why am I the only one so quiet? Why is everyone so happy but I feel sad and alone?” Deshawn gets to school, and he is unable to focus or concentrate. He begins to think of his grandmother who had raised him from an infant.&#160;<br></div>

<p>​<span>​​Of all the places we inhabit, church should be among the most accessible. Until disability was something I dealt with every day, I might have said we were doing pretty well. We have elevators, handicapped parking spots, railings heading up toward the pulpit. But then I spent this last Christmas Eve at my home church&#160;and I came up against a barrier I wasn’t expecting&#58; gluten.&#160;<span style="display&#58;inline-block;"></span></span></p>

<p>​<span>​The season of Advent is about the hope of waiting. When you're the caregiver to a child with a disability, your life is all about waiting. Waiting for the next doctor's appointment, physical therapy session, counseling session . . . This is my story of waiting.<span style="display&#58;inline-block;"></span></span></p>

Public events such as worship services and meetings are central in the life of any faith community. Hearing and understanding what others say in public settings often poses a challenge to persons living with hearing loss unless special attention is given to making these events accessible. In this article, Lynn Swedberg introduces captioning as an important tool to assure that people with hearing&#160;difficulties are able to fully participate in community life.