Inclusion has become a buzzword among disability rights advocates. But what does it mean? We can install all the wheelchair ramps we want, but until we truly embrace the idea of diversity to include different abilities, nothing will change. Until we approach people with disabilities with curiosity instead of fear, they will continue to be marginalized. And what better place to start this fundamental shift than in church? Bridge Disability Ministries in Seattle, Washington, works to build bridges between people with disabilities and their faith communities. Their equipment ministry helps get people to religious services by providing wheelchairs and other types of medical equipment, while their guardianship program protects people who don’t have the capacity to advocate for themselves. Perhaps most innovative, Bridge partners with local churches to make places of worship more welcoming for everyone.
