A Voice of A Person With Disabilities Jo Ann G. Misail .docx

Hearing the voice of people with disabilities… A Voice of A Person With Disabilities Jo Ann G. Misail Holy Cross/ Hellenic College 11/12/14 I would like to thank Father Clapsis for inviting me to speak to his class today and thank you for welcoming me. My coming before you is a bit fearsome task. Last week I read in a daily scripture reading, “…for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say” This verse 12 in Luke chapter 12 has given me the hope I come with today. Persons with disabilities comprise the largest minority group, about 25% per cent of the American population. 2012 Disability Status Report - United States | © 2014 Cornell University Persons with disabilities are coming into the mainstream and as they do so, society copes with attitude and architectural barriers. Churches often lag behind secular institutions in dealing with both of these factors. We see few people with disabilities in church. This is not just another 'issue' to be 'addressed.' Rather, it goes to the heart of our confession of faith. At the root of Orthodox worship is the Divine Liturgy and through the Eucharistic action the risen and reigning Christ offers and distributes Himself in Word and Sacrament to every believer. The Church calls all God’s people to belong to a community which is the precursor of the Kingdom. The Church, the Body of Christ, in its reality, imparts the guidance on how to include adults and children with disabilities with their dignity intact, in the worship and life of the church, as well as the community. This is what the Church is and stands for. Inclusion in the church community is the Church responsive to parents of children with disabilities and adults with disabilities and the support in helping them achieve whatever is possible despite their difficulties. Whenever this does not happen, the Church is not what it is called to be. Throughout the Church’s history many difficult issues have had to be faced. Canon laws addressed many of these issues. Canon LVII of the 85 Canons of the Holy Apostles states: If any Clergyman jeers, fleers or flouts or contumeliously or scurrilously or derisively or mockingly scoffs or sneers at anyone who is lame or maimed, or who is deaf, or who is blind, or who is a cripple, let him be excommunicated. The same rule applies also to a layman. This Canon is similar to a commandment of God’s will for appropriate behavior, “You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but fear your God: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus19: 14) The Church is an earthly reflection of the unity of the Holy Trinity. The undivided Holy Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one of the most repeated parts of the Liturgy. The Holy Trinity is characterized by interdependence, not independence; by mutual inter-communion not exclusive isolation. In a pursuit of a model of interdependence to address disability concerns, the Trinitarian God within Whom there is a relationship amongst the Father, Son and Holy Spirit exemplifies interdependence within the Godhead. The Church exemplifies “the full humanity revealed in Christ,” and bears witness to the interdependence of humankind, and achieves unity in diversity in the full participation of all its members in its life. . For persons living with a disability interdependence is the key. At every Divine Liturgy the words of Christ are repeated, “Take, eat; this is my Body, which is broken for you” (Matthew 26.26) invite us to partake of Holy Communion. We are invited to the Last Supper, at which we become united to Christ. The words of Christ hold before us, for the life of the world, His own damaged and disabled body. The unity of the church is recreated again and again as the broken body is restored into the oneness of Christ’s body, the Church. The sole purpose of Orthodox Christianity is the salvation of every human person, uniting him to Christ in the Church, transforming him in holiness, and imparting eternal life. It is the content of salvation that human beings created in the image of God are called to become Christ like. Because disabilities undermine persons at the level of their being, it weakens their impassioned attachments to this world. Disability in a person brings the practice of self-denial that cultivates virtue and submission to God’s will, which is the basis of our salvation. God loves all human beings irrespective of physical or intellectual ability. Acceptance begins with a focus on people, not on their disabilities. We can learn more about the Gospel from people with disabilities, those in the margins of society, those who have been crushed and hurt, than from the wise and prudent. Each person with a disability brings their own approach to the disability and their own attitude. The same disability in two different lives can produce opposite effects. It may be necessary to overcome a visual acceptance where appearance and behavior are factors in the acceptance of a person with a disability. In a world that often sees persons with intellectual developmental disabilities as less than whole, the Church celebrates their creativity and great capacity for joy as important gifts to be shared. “For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”(1 Samuel 16:7) Often persons with disabilities are considered weak and requiring care. “On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable” (1 Corinthians 12:22). Saint Paul implies that even those parts of the body which may appear weaker are yet indispensable. The entire Church is weaker without all the parts of its body. We should recognize the contribution that persons with disabilities can make to the Church's life and community, and encourage their participation according to their God-given talents and capacity. Throughout history the sanctity of human life has faced opposition, most notably from those who advocate a “quality of life” viewpoint, suggesting that human life must possess certain qualities and abilities before it can be considered truly valuable. Freedom, and independence seem intrinsic to the value of human life. They are seen to be essential factors to a “quality of life”. According to this distorted humanistic view a person with a physical or mental disability does not possess these qualities. God rejects this “quality of life” point of view. The value of human life does not depend upon the person’s functional abilities or independent viability but is assured because of the Image of God that is found in every human life. God does not measure the quality of a human life but bestows His Image on every human life. The church often ministers well to persons with acute illnesses and injuries but in situations where disability is permanent, many clergy have had limited personal experience with such persons with disabilities. Many churches are unaware of how many persons with disabilities are in their church community. There are persons with disabilities or families with an individual with disability who perceive their church as unwelcoming. The Church because it is the Body of Christ can seek to identify and reach out to persons with disabilities and integrate them into the Church community. Our faith and practice must insure that priests and laity extend an open door to the Church to persons with disabilities. As bearers of the mission of Christ, it is your mission to make sure the existing walls of discrimination both in the church and community at large are removed. The vision of the mission of Jesus is one of an inclusive community. Orthodox theological education on the inclusion of persons with disabilities is crucial. This education must carry major responsibility for taking up this challenge among and beyond the churches. Our theological institutions will want to work to prepare future bishops, priests deacons, and all those in ministry in an understanding of the experience of persons with disabilities, an experience so common and essentially human. Clergy students may then transfer that knowledge and welcome people with disabilities (and their families) to their congregations, creating a place for all people in the Church The provision in the Church of the implementation of inclusive programs and of the adopting of appropriate teaching techniques is vitally important in welcoming children and youth with disabilities, who may not be participating in the life of the Church, However, the attitude of the congregation makes the difference between tolerating the young people’s presence or embracing the opportunity these children and youth provide for healing, growth and understanding. For some churches it may not occur that accessibility is lacking. For others there may not be sufficient funds to provide architectural access. This access, though very important, facilitates only the insufficient motor skills of a person. Transcending the obstacle of accessibility is the obstacle of attitude. Still today the concept that prosperity, good health and peace are God’s rewards to the righteous and obedient and calamity indicates sinfulness is a difficult one for some to overcome. Kindness and help to a person with disabilities was to assuage the punishment God had already given them. A person may still bring this socially inherited attitude or simply fear and uncertainty into a possible relationship with a person with a disability. An excerpt from Disability and Communication passed by SCOBA in June 2009 states: The Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law in 1990, was the first comprehensive civil rights legislation to protect people with disabilities. Yet, beyond legal obligation and civil conduct, responding to and including people with disabilities are not options for us as Orthodox Christians. This includes, for example Providing curb cuts, adequate ramps, sufficient handicapped parking, wide doors and aisles to accommodate wheelchairs. Learning the proper language and appropriate behavior Identifying and increasing the visibility of people with disabilities – those using canes, walkers, wheelchairs or service dogs. Relating to people with disabilities always with communion and openness, not mere compassion or pity. Theological curriculum has rarely engaged persons with disabilities in a participation of their dialogue. Not only with the witness of their life, but also through the activity of which they are capable according to their possibilities, persons with disabilities can be active agents of pastoral work. The voice of people with disabilities is needed to realize a richer revelation of God and ourselves. Growing out of this, pastoral ministry can implement theology in relationships with persons with disabilities. Father Clapsis is perhaps its foremost catalyst. Thank you 1