Education and Awareness
Nondisabled church leaders and congregation members must educate themselves on the experiences of disabled people and increase their own awareness of the barriers people with disabilities face in the church. When we are informed, we begin to notice barriers and act to address them.
ADN offers educational guides, webinars, and lesson plans written from an Anabaptist perspective on how our faith intersects with disabilities and mental illness. These resources are useful for Sunday School classes seeking an introduction to disability theology or pastors hoping to increase their own awareness of their congregation.
Publications
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Accessibility & Funding
Accessibility and Funding ADN offers guides, audits, and grants for addressing the church building and physical barriers faced by people with disabilities and mental illness. Publications Recommended Reading
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Church Policies
Church Policies The needs and wants of each member of a church body often conflict with those of other members. Leaders may find that, as they work to become a place of belonging for those with disabilities and mental illness, the accommodations needed by one person are in opposition to another person’s needs. ADN offers…
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Education & Awareness
Education and Awareness Nondisabled church leaders and congregation members must educate themselves on the experiences of disabled people and increase their own awareness of the barriers people with disabilities face in the church. When we are informed, we begin to notice barriers and act to address them. ADN offers educational guides, webinars, and lesson plans…
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Accessible Faith Formation
Accessible Faith Formation When providing Christian Education for people with disabilities, church leaders can choose to integrate the disabled person into group of their non-disabled peers or to create opportunities for faith formation that are tailored to the disabled person’s needs and gifts. In either scenario, the curriculum and activities must be adapted so the…
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Communities
Communities Organizations of Belonging on local, national, and international scales Our call as Christians is to overcome barriers to full participation in the life of our communities, creating space where all are invited to belong. This is happening in our church buildings, at camps and conference centers, and globally! This section of the website serves…
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International Organizations
Global Organizations Global Organizations Anabaptists around the world are concerned about disability. Here are some organizations outside of North America that are working to meet the needs of disabled people within their communities. To add an organization to this list, contact us. Disability-Focused Organizations Ethiopia & Eritra Kenya Sierra Leone Tanzania Ukraine Vietnam
Recommended Reading
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Different is Beautiful
In this collaboration with Mennonite Women USA for Disability Pride Month, Sarah Werner redefines her disability as something to be proud of, not something to be ashamed of.
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(Un)Loved: holding grace for myself in chronic illness
Jasmine Duckworth shares vulnerably about her struggle for self-acceptance after a chronic-illness diagnosis.