By Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle
THIS YEAR, the Paralympics ran from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8. The event was the 17th Paralympic Games and the 12th to be held in the same host city as the Olympics.
In preparation for the games, Paris’s public transport system underwent accessibility improvements and all 5,288 volunteers from the city received disability awareness training. There were 260 volunteers specifically allocated to deal with accessibility issues.
The Paralympics had a total of 549 medal events, 220 more than the Olympics to accommodate diverse needs including wheelchair users, those with visual impairments, various upper and lower body impairments including prosthetic use, intellectual impairments, and others to ensure as level a playing field as possible. There were some 4,400 athletes from 180 countries who competed, in addition to a Refugee Paralympic Team and Neutral Paralympic Team. (Facts and figures about the Paralympics games taken from https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-paralympics-facts-and-figures-about-the-2024-paralympic-games)
A lot of thought, consultation with people with disabilities, and creativity went into the Paralympics ensuring this year’s event was the most accessible ever. The design of the athletes’ village, food distribution, workout spaces, and transportation were based on the ideal of athlete autonomy. The goal was to ensure the athletes could do what they wanted, when they wanted, without necessarily having to rely on others for assistance. A simple example, carts were made available in the cafeteria so that athletes with mobility issues could take their time deciding what they wanted to eat without being dependent on someone else to carry their food.
A lot of thought, consultation with people with disabilities, and creativity went into the Paralympics this year. The question remains: what can churches learn from this event to improve our accessibility and support the autonomy of people with disabilities in our congregations?
So often churches focus on accessibility from the perspective of mobility. Some have added ramps and accessible bathrooms. These are important. To what extent do these adaptions ensure that a priest who has mobility issues can access the chancel to lead worship and have an office to work? To what extent can a lay person who is a wheelchair user participate in worship as a lector, Eucharistic administer, or server? Can people with mobility issues access all spaces in the building? What does it say about inclusivity if this is not possible?
What about other adaptations? Has consideration been given for those who have hearing impairments? How might the auditory systems ensure that those who need hearing assistance can properly hear the service? Is ASL interpretation available for those who need it?
Could someone with a visual impairment participate in worship? Are there braille Bibles, prayer books, and other resources available to support inclusion? To what extent is description available to help those who are visually impaired experience the visual elements of the spaces? What adaptations have been included on Internet resources to better support those with visual impairments?
How about accommodations for those who are neurodivergent, those whose brains work differently? What considerations have been made to ensure that there are safe spaces for those who might be easily overwhelmed by stimuli? Are there food options that take into consideration those who might have sensitivities – like making your own sandwiches instead of selecting from those premade? Could someone get pasta and butter if they have an aversion to complex sauces? Are there spaces where those with diverse mental health needs could feel seen, understood, and included?
To what extent are stories of people with disabilities included in our programming, reflections, and sermons? In what ways are people with disabilities seen and valued as full persons in Christ? What more is needed to ensure that church communities respect the dignity of every human being, disabled and abled? What can we learn from the efforts of the community to ensure that we are as accessible as we could be? People with disabilities are also created in the image and likeness of God. How are we honouring Christ in those with diverse disabilities?
The questions posed in this article arise from experiences with people who have diverse disabilities and through reading stories of those with disabilities. For one interesting look into the struggles and hopes of those with disabilities, check out “The Future is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes, and Mourning Songs”, by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha.
Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle is a co-chair of SEJH.
Photo: Arisa Chattasa/Unsplash