The Disbaled God, by Nancy Eiesland, informs us that more than forty-three million people have a physical or mental disability in this country; that is one in six people (19)! Unfortunately, a large percentage of these people are not a regular part of any church family, making them one of the largest unreached groups in this country.
Basic definition from All About Developmental Disabilities (www.aadd.org):
“A developmental disability refers to a severe, chronic disability that
A. Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment,
B. Is manifested prior to age 22,
C. Is likely to continue indefinitely,
D. Results in substantial limitations in at least three of seven major life functions, and
E. Requires services for an extended period of time.”
I realize that this definition is broad. However, this study is not based on the medical or economic variations or definitions of a developmental disability. But rather, this study is exploring a definition that is defined by the social implications of having a developmental disability. While disabilities can vary in severity or type, ANY disability “may produce the same social problems of stigma, marginality, and discrimination” (Eiesland 24). While this course exploration covers a very broad range of diagnoses, it is focused on the attitudes/perceptions between individuals with special needs and the church.
These people should not be solely defined by their disability. Thus, it is best to say “a child who has Autism," rather than “an Autistic child." In a similar fashion, Eiseland most refers to this target population as “persons with disabilities." She says, “An individual’s disability is just one of many personal characteristics, rather than being synonymous or coextensive with that person’s self” (27).
It should be noted that a politically correct term is developmental disabilities, and the use of “retarded” is not acceptable. For more information on why this word is offensive and the social movement against it, please visit “End the R-Word” campaign at www.R-Word.org.
When referring to a Special Olympics athlete’s type of disability, I have heard someone ask, “What’s wrong with him?” I struggle with the hurtful wording of that question. Let us be clear nothing is wrong with the individual, but the reality is that there is something that is disabling the individual in some capacity. Would God say that God's child, whom God created and knew in the womb, is “amiss”? Absolutely not, every human being was created in God’s image.
I have seen God’s features mirrored very obviously in God’s special needs children in the way they love boldly and openly. The challenge is that some people are uncomfortable around special needs individuals because interactions may involve uncertainty. Thus, education and communication about special needs is vital for the church to have open arms and fulfill this gap. There is no shortage of people who want to help but there is a shortage of leadership and communication to start these valuable services throughout the church.
CJ - Maybe it will be interesting to do some research on the social contexts and historical foundations of treatment and inclusiveness of persons with disabilities in other cultures/countries. I recently read a NYT article saying that people with schizophrenia have been known to do better in some African cultures because of the way they are included in society.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, Dancing Skeletons, Katherine Dettwyler discusses this topic briefly. As an anthropologist with a daughter with a developmental disability, her observations of what disability means to people in Western Africa are of particular interest and merit.