Today, I got to share what it is like to be a wheelchair user, at the St. John’s Ben Rhydding Church in Ilkley, during their first ever Disability Awareness Sunday! There were also other disabled members who watched the service on Zoom.
Through the Roof and Roofbreakers was founded upon this scripture. The founder of the foundation is Joni B. Eareckson Tada.
Song God of the poor (Beauty for brokenness)
Daniella Jade’s experience
What difference in access to things did you find coming from Bermuda to here?
College and University was wheelchair accessible, however the college made it mandatory to get an electric wheelchair because Bradford is very hilly.
In education, what barriers were there and how were things changed to help you?
Wheelchair Accessibility and Integration were the recurring barriers. There were two public high schools to choose from. One building was completely wheelchair accessible from it’s inception but I would’ve ended up in a special class/program instead of being integrated while the other high school was nowhere near wheelchair accessible which impeded on things like class participation, attendance and receiving an accurate product grade. Once I got to the high school phase of life, I started out in a building with all stairs, which made it hard to get to classes easily and on time. But in my second year, I moved to a fully wheelchair accessible building.
What barriers do you in coming to church and how can we help you to be included?
None
Then we included the church in a Talk – including a time for discussion.
Song Be still for the presence
Prayers
Song God of justice
The audience seemed quite interested and receptive. I’m very thankful for this opportunity. I enjoyed sharing my experiences and hearing other people’s perspective.
I was given another wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by another disability oriented organisation called the Lwazi Ncube Foundation. The Lwazi Ncube Foundation is an organisation created to build, encourage and inspire others with disabilities.
Hello,Introduce yourself – Name and what you do.
My name is Daniella Jade Lowe. I do not work for anyone, but I am working on marketing myself as an Accessibility Consultant. Journalism and Politics are my passion. I have a BA degree in History and Politics.
What type of disability do you have?
At birth, I was diagnosed with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus which are neurological conditions. As a result, I use a wheelchair for mobility.
What is disability to you?
The only disability is a bad attitude. I have a disability. It doesn’t completely define me; it just enhances me in a way which differentiates and strengthens me. My disability should be viewed as an ability: to see the world in a different way. I don’t really like the term because sometimes it indirectly implies someone is dysfunctional or helpless. The most important thing is to never make assumptions. Someone with a disability can be very, physically, fit and strong, highly intelligent and articulate.
What has been your experience from the time you remember till now? – positive and negative experiences.
My life as a wheelchair user has been generally okay. Wheelchair Accessibility is frustrating. I was teased a little in school. Other than that, life is great.
How do you cope with: -daily activities – your disability, do you have times when you are down – people’s reactions towards you.
I have carers, a Social worker, District Nurses, a GP, and extended family in this country. I am also in contact with a local disability charity in Yorkshire. I also have a friendly landlord.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
I must stay organised and practice good time management. I also prioritise my plans.
When it comes to religion, what is your belief in terms of how you were created? – do you blame God – do you trust God?
No, I do not blame God for the way that I was born/created. Yes I’ve been prayed over before about healing but I do love my life.
When it comes to the African society what has been your experience – if you have visited Africa what has been your experience?
No experience
Compare the UK experience with the Caribbean experience.
The weather is warmer in Bermuda than the UK. The UK is bigger than Bermuda. Wheelchair Accessibility and Disability Rights is better in the UK than Bermuda.
What is your word or advice to those with disabilities?
Don’t let people put you in a box. You have a voice, use it.
What is your word or adviceto the society?
Don’t give up on people with disabilities. Give them a chance at life. Don’t discriminate, neglect and push them to the side. Strive for inclusion for all.
Dealing with Disability in the Church hasn’t been all that bad for me. First of all, I’d like to start out by saying, I’ve attended church all my life. I love church. I get involved in church services mainly by serving on the Audiovisual/Technical Team. I enjoy this.
While living in Bradford I noticed that their churches have their own private buses to pick up and drop off their members.
Now I’ve got one ‘bone to pick.’ Why are public buses in England expected to be wheelchair accessible but not private buses? Just an observation.
However, whenever I asked to use it instead of taxis, I was told they do not take wheelchairs for liability reasons. Also I noticed the church I first attended, had a wheelchair section for easy access in case of a fire. I also attended a university campus church in Bradford.
On the other hand, while living in Ilkley, there is one church that has a disability ministry for those with intellectual disabilities called the Ark, which meets the first Sunday of every month from 3pm to 6pm. Some other churches may even have Sign Language interpreters for the hearing impaired.
In relation to handling disability, churches should take on The Good Samaritan Approach.
Prayer
I appreciate prayers. I have been asked to be prayed for and gladly accepted such. It can be slightly frustrating when your expectation for a change is so high and it doesn’t come which has discouraged me at times. But I do believe in miracles.
However, I also know someone who has autism of a different persuasion. Her experiences in the church have almost never been positive. Many times, Christians have prayed for her to be healed of autism.
She does not personally want to be “healed” of autism, because she believes that God intentionally allows some people to be born with autism or Down Syndrome for his own good reasons, and that these people are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, and perfect just the way they are. They do not need to be healed; God made them like that.
She feels that her autism is an integral part of who she is, and is not a negative thing, but rather a positive one. She does not feel that autism holds her back.
When church people pray for her to be healed of autism, without asking her first whether she wants healing, or despite my objections to what they’re doing, that does not empower me. They are deciding on my behalf what direction they think my life should take, but they do not have that right; it’s my life. People with disabilities deserve to be in control of their own lives.
Instead of being “healed,” all she wants is to be accepted by the church for the peculiar, wonderful, autistic person who she is. She needs acceptance and inclusion.
When people pray for her to be healed of autism, she perceives them to be indirectly saying,
“I want God to change you into a normal person, for my own comfort, because I can’t handle that we have a disabled person in our church. I don’t want to deal with having to include disabilities, so it’s easier if I can just try to heal them instead.”
She fully believes that God does have the power to heal people. But she also believes that when church members wish to pray for a disabled person’s healing, they need to first ask that person whether he or she wants healing or not. If the disabled individual declines the offer, church members need to fully respect this, and not keep pushing healing on the person.
It is good to be content and happy with life. I do agree to some extent. There is also a way of embracing disability without accepting it as if there’s no hope.
In other words exhibit faith, despite the odds! Don’t glorify the problem, glorify the problem solver.
Stating the facts about one’s medical condition isn’t necessarily claiming it but acknowledging that something is different about the way a person functions. We shouldn’t live in denial and shame, especially if people ask genuine questions out of curiosity.
The Stigma around Medical Intervention
Another subject I don’t understand is the notion that surgery or taking medicine isn’t faith. I believe God can heal through medical science. Sometimes medical intervention is part of the process. There is also nothing wrong with prayer and a psychologist, social worker or carers.
Besides, faith without works is dead. I also notice that people tend to judge by appearances. I’m not looking for pity but inclusion.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Functioning in Dysfunction
Some churches in England have a health and safety policy where they have designated seating for the physically challenged. They’re also wheelchair accessible for the most part too.
Wheelchair Accessibility and mobility issues are just some of the problems that the physically challenged face. Access alleviates the amount of limitations and restrictions on wheelchair users. Failing to ensure wheelchair accessibility is neglecting to provide reasonable adjustments. It is like functioning in dysfunction.
I get really annoyed with drivers who park across dropped kerbs. Dropped kerbs are meant to make it easy for wheelchairs to enter and exit sidewalks. I think that drivers should either be fined or vehicles towed.
Alternatively, if the church building isn’t wheelchair accessible, there is the option of watching services online, but then the problem with that is, one can’t mix and mingle with other believers.
I suppose this will always be an issue depending on where one lives. There are many other issues that this subject can cover but this video should do the job.
Why should your church be Disability Friendly?
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