Of the approximately 526,000 people living in the area surrounding BYU, 15,000 individuals have intellectual and developmental disabilities, and an estimated 100,000 individuals have disabilities in general.
At the 2018 Marjorie Pay Hinckley Lecture “Fostering Belonging: Inclusion, Friendship, and People with Disabilities,” Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Special Education Erik Carter invited community members to see individuals with disabilities for their strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses and differences. In doing this, individuals with disabilities will truly find worth and belonging in congregations and communities.
Dr. Carter’s lecture highlighted a pattern of 10 attitudes, actions, and experiences he has found in his research and studies that lead to belonging.
1. To be present
In a study conducted by Dr. Carter, 87% of people with disabilities said that faith was “somewhat” or “very important” in their lives, yet only 43% of individuals with significant disabilities attend worship services at least once a month. This is not a critique of these individuals, but a critique of church buildings and services. Community members should have facilities and services that serve the needs of all members of the congregation and allow them to be present.
2. To be invited
It is one thing for an individual to be present, but quite another for them to be intentionally invited to be part of a community. In Dr. Carter’s study, a church leader reported, “It’s not that we deliberately exclude [individuals with disabilities]. In fact, we’re not deliberate at all. That’s the problem.”
A true invitation is personal and lets the individual know that they are personally being thought of and that their presence really matters.
3. To be welcomed
“[Being welcomed] is not just about what you say, but rather it is more about what is felt. The host is not the one who determines what feels welcoming. It is the guest,” shared Dr. Carter.
For the host, the biggest threat to being welcoming is uncertainty. Dr. Carter noted that the way to bridge uncertainty is by asking about the needs of the individual and then asking about who they are as a person. The charge to welcome individuals with disabilities is not only for close family, friends or a welcome committee, it is a charge for everyone.
4. To be known
When someone welcomes an individual into their community, the individual should not stay a stranger for long. Getting to know people is essential, but it is how they are known that is even more important, shared Dr. Carter. Individuals should be seen for who they are and their strengths instead of simply by their name and their labels.
5. To be accepted
Community members need to be personally involved with contacting all members of their community. This is not solely the responsibility of religious leaders, but it is a responsibility for every member of a congregation, consulted Dr. Carter. By embracing the person for all they are, both their attitudes of the community or congregation member and the community or congregation member’s attitudes of them will be changed.
6. To be supported
Having a disability can be challenging, but even more challenging is not having the surrounding support of others. To be supportive, Dr. Carter advised that individuals show interest, ask for input, and ask good questions. When the family of an individual with disabilities has advocates for disability awareness efforts in the community and in church, church can become the happiest and most supportive time of the week.
7. To be cared for
Church only lasts for a few hours, but fellowship should continue throughout the week. Truly caring for others means that we “recognize and strive to support the spiritual, emotional, and practical needs” of members even after we leave the chapel on Sunday, said Dr. Carter. This care shows that the individual matters and that they belong.
8. To be befriended
In a national study of adolescents with autism, 24% of adults with intellectual disabilities reported having no friendships or caring relationships other than those with their support staff or family members. “The relationship networks of students [and individuals] with disabilities tend to be quite different from those of students without similar labels,” shared Carter.
It is essential that community members are intentional with their relationships and take responsibility for being the friend that their peers and community members need.
9. To be needed
Individuals with disabilities are “indispensable members” of a congregation who bring indispensable gifts and talents that can bless everyone in a congregation, said Dr. Carter. Finding ways to be ministered to by people with disabilities will truly bless individuals in their faith communities.
10. To be loved
Loving people with disabilities and making sure that they feel belonging is not something that should be left to experts, it is something that community members should do themselves.
Dr. Carter emphasized that individuals with disabilities’ “core needs are not what’s different, but the supports that we have to provide to support people are different...It is through simple actions that all in a congregation will feel welcomed and a sense of ‘belonging.’”