Indispensable People
Making the Gospel Accessible to people of ALL abilities so that they may know Christ, grow in Him, and serve Him with the gifts He has given them.
Indispensable People
Going Back to Basics
Tracie Corll explores practical strategies for creating welcoming churches for people with disabilities, focusing on foundational elements that make disability ministry most effective.
• Physical accessibility is essential—ramps, accessible restrooms, and adequate parking ensure people can fully participate
• Communication accessibility through large print materials, captions, audio descriptions, and digital resources helps everyone engage
• Congregational education on disability awareness, respectful language, and overcoming misconceptions breaks down barriers
• Inviting people with disabilities into inclusive ministry activities fosters genuine belonging and community
• Buddy programs provide practical support during church activities and build meaningful relationships
• Transportation assistance addresses a critical barrier for many who cannot drive themselves
• Flexibility in adapting programs accommodates diverse needs and preferences
• Securing leadership support from pastors and board members is crucial for sustainable ministry
• Building a supportive volunteer team with clear roles prevents burnout
• Utilizing existing training resources helps equip volunteers and leaders effectively
For deeper dives into these topics and more, check out indispensable-people.com and visit Amazon to purchase the books The Indispensable Kid and Gospel Accessibility and the Indispensable People.
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to Indispensable People. I'm a wife, mom, teacher, pastor and missionary, and I believe that every person should have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given, no matter their ability. Over 65 million Americans have a disability. That's 25% of the population. However, over 80% of them are not inside the walls of our church. Let's dive into those hard topics biblical foundations, perceptions and welcome to this episode of Indispensable People. We're talking about creating a welcoming church. What are some of the top tangible things that can be done to make disability ministry most effective in your church, whether you are just starting or looking to enhance your existing program? We hope that this episode is packed with practical advice to guide you Because listen, there is endless pieces of information and advice that exists out there. So how can we boil it down and get to the most important?
Speaker 1:I remember whenever I was pregnant for the first time and I just I wanted to know all the things. I wanted to be a good mom and I wanted to do the right things. And I wanted to know all the things. I wanted to be a good mom and I wanted to do the right things and I wanted to make sure my kids had everything they needed. And there is this mom at my church and they were youth leaders, but her children were older teens, almost young adult age, and they were fantastic humans age and they were fantastic humans and I remember looking at her and saying whatever you do, I need you to share with me Like I want to know your things, I want to have children, like your children, and all of the things, and I wanted to soak up anything that she had to offer. And so I hope today, this is what this is for you, because we can get lost in all the details. We can try to do all the things all at one time. And, first of all, it's not possible, if you are one person serving and leading the charge in your church, to minister to people with special needs. You're one person. You can't do everything, you can't be everything to everyone. And I want you to know, first of all, thank you for what you do, thank you. You to know, first of all, thank you for what you do, thank you. Second, I want you to know that your heart, your passion and your intent means a lot to the families that you are impacting? And last, how can we get to the basics and then, as we get to understand and know the people that we're serving, add the extras in, because the disability is vast, the diagnoses are endless, the needs are huge, but we can boil down the basics and then, as we meet and engage with people, we can provide what they need because we get to know them and we know their true needs.
Speaker 1:So, first and foremost, accessibility. We always talk about accessibility because if you can't have access, can you be a part? You can't. So let's start with physical accessibility. It's essential, absolutely essential, to ensure that people can physically access your church. Right, if they can't get in, they can't be a part of the church, and if they can only be there for part of it or in parts of it, then you don't ever feel fully a part. So these are things like are there ramps for wheelchair access? And listen, you can have permanent ones, you can buy temporary ones that are less costly. There are ways to do the things that are needed. Are restrooms accessible? I know I've shared a story about a local church near to me that just had a super old building, didn't have the finances to change the bathroom, but the bathroom door was so skinny that one of their attendees had to decide do I come for Sunday school, do I come for church? Because I can't make it through both. So what do I do you want to consider? Is there adequate parking? Is the parking within proximity of the building that makes it easier for those individuals to get in? Those adjustments can make a significant difference in welcoming all individuals. So, physical access we want to make sure people can get in your buildings. That is going to be a foundational building piece of a special needs ministry, a disability ministry.
Speaker 1:The next thing we want to talk about communication accessibility and this isn't really something that we've termed this before, but it's simple, doable things like offering large print materials, materials, audio descriptions, captions for online services. The way things are today, you can make a YouTube video, load it up there and hit the thing and it'll do all the stuff for you. It's fantastic. Consider digital resources which, by the way, if you do it in digital, it costs less or Braille or audio versions of bulletins, Bible study guides, and again, start with the basic, the foundational communication pieces, and then open up the door to the needs that come through, but be aware of where you can access those things. These options ensure that everyone can engage with your church message and activities, communication, so important. So we're starting with the physical accessibility, then we're moving on to communication accessibility.
Speaker 1:But the next piece and we talk about this so very, very often your congregation. Okay, they can get in the building now, they can hear the message, but what's going to happen when they meet the people? Are the people going to be welcoming? Are the people going to be open? Are they going to make the church accessible? And education and awareness it's crucial. You need to train your church on disability awareness, respectful language, terms that are offensive and common misconceptions, even these common misconceptions that are rooted in scripture. We've talked about those theological foundations that we really need to be cautious about. And why do we do this? Because it fosters an environment of understanding and respect. We want to uphold someone's value and dignity and we want to help them to feel as though they belong, because that is the way that God intended and we have to be intentional about it.
Speaker 1:And I can tell you different stories about people who have come into the church and different ways that they've engaged, and negatives and positives. And I can tell you about one particular young girl, who's probably eight or nine at the time and, for whatever reason, probably rooted in sensory needs at that point, she would not go into children's church. The interesting part was she wouldn't go into children's church, However, she would go into the main service with adults and so to be able to participate in worship in ways that she enjoyed, her buddy took her into the main service to participate. When she was in there she made noises and she squealed and she jumped up and down while she did worship and she did all of that stuff. And at one point one of the buddies was kind of trying to calm her body a little bit and our youth pastor's wife, who was also the child care director at the time, came over and said no, no, no, you let her worship in the way that she feels most comfortable. And the only reason that the buddy at that point was trying to kind of change her behavior or calm her to some degree was because the people sitting around her were starting to get restless and a little bit upset. And just engagement over time learning, education, intentional purpose in that changed the way that people saw this particular person and how they interacted.
Speaker 1:And I will tell you one of probably the biggest stereotypical barrier breaking moments came in our church whenever we did Night to Shine. Because here's the thing when we have church and I'm going to say this and I don't necessarily like the way that it sounds, but it's going to help me to convey what I need to say which is when we have a church and we invite people with disabilities in, they're kind of coming on our turf, in a sense, right Like, this is our place where we feel most comfortable, and when I the event was for people with disabilities, so we're asking volunteers to come on people with disabilities turf. Right, this is the norm. This event is totally surrounded by them, it's set up for them, it is thought about in every aspect and designed to specifically fit the needs of these individuals. And it was a flip because those volunteers saw the fullness of that individual in a space that was made for them and it helped to flip a lot of that thinking and a lot of those stereotypes and really open the door to see how God could work in their lives.
Speaker 1:So also, we want to consider, as we talk about education and building that inclusive language, promoting person-first language, which is person with a disability rather than a disabled person. And you are going to hear it both ways and here's what I am going to give you wisdom-wise in that area it's going to be very individual. People feel they'll say I'm a disabled person and they're fine with it. They'll say I'm a disabled person and they're fine with it. They'll say I'm an autistic person and they're fine with it. And then you'll go to the next person and they won't be fine with it. So here's the thing.
Speaker 1:The great thing about the church is that I don't necessarily have to use those terms. I don't even have to be concerned so much with someone's diagnosis. I just need to know what they need. I just need to know what they need. I just need to know how they're going to feel most comfortable in church. I just need to know how they're going to be able to best learn about Jesus. And so this is done not because I know their diagnosis, not because I called them a Down syndrome person or an autistic person or a person with autism or a person with Down syndrome person, or a person with autism or a person with Down syndrome. So we want to be careful with language, but we don't have to be so stereotypical with it, because then we get ourselves stuck in it and it's not necessary.
Speaker 1:So, moving on to things that we want to create as foundational pieces, things that we want to create as foundational pieces, okay, we started with physical accessibility. We moved on to creating communication accessibility and then educating and prepping our congregations by using inclusive language and giving them immersive experiences so that they can see and understand people with disabilities. But then we want to invite and encourage participation. There are so many people that are currently a part of the disability ministry at my home church that never thought they would be. Why? Because we asked them, because we told them that they were capable, that we told them that they could do this, that they could see people in such a way. But not only do I want to invite people into the disability ministry, but I want them to start inviting people with disabilities into an inclusive ministry, to include people with disabilities, to join small groups and Bible studies and social activities.
Speaker 1:Because let me just give you an example and I might have shared in the past there's a lady at my church, her name is Carol, and there is nothing that made me more happy Carol is currently a widow. Her husband passed away just a couple of years now, and last a couple months ago, she posted on Facebook on her birthday and she was out to dinner with some friends and every single one of those friends had a disability. And they Carol brings them back and forth to church. They do life together, they live things out together, they are a part of, they are fully integrated. They are fully inclusive, they are, they're friends, they're Jesus believing people who do life together and I love that, because an invitation fosters a sense of belonging and community. But it doesn't just foster a sense right, like I'm not here to just make people feel like they fit. I want people to fit because we're the body of Christ, because we have the option to do that, because that's what God has asked us to do into being the body and being interconnected. Another thing we want to do and this is going to be a piece and part of that inclusion is that belonging is listening to needs, understanding what is needed from that person, actively listen and think about their preferences and their needs and consider that as you're building programs and events and designing things. That's going to be incredibly important. So here's some tangible pieces Provide a buddy program, consider implementing buddy programs, pairing individuals with disabilities, with volunteers for support, especially during transitions and unfamiliar activities.
Speaker 1:This practical assistance can ease participation and build confidence. Consider this is a big deal. This next one A harder one, more expensive, one, more liability, but incredibly beneficial. Consider offering transportation. Transportation is a huge barrier. Many people with physical disabilities, intensive physical disabilities and intellectual disabilities are not drive me. So how are they getting back and forth to church? Is it dependent on a caregiver, a family member that can decide hey, this isn't a priority for me, so they don't make it happen. Group homes, all of that kind of stuff you have. There's so many things that can be overcome if transportation is offered. Here's an easy one Be flexible and adaptable.
Speaker 1:That doesn't cost us a thing. Recognize that needs are unique. Be flexible and willing to adapt our programs, accommodate various preferences and requirements. Adapt our programs, accommodate various preferences and requirements. Again, when we do things at churches, they're not about us, they're about the people that we serve. And if the people that we serve can't be a part of it because we won't adjust what we're doing, we really need to consider. I read something one time. I wish I could tell you who the author was, but I don't remember. That said, are you willing to shut something down if it means that one person can't be included? Would you be willing to change an activity, change an event, do something completely different because one person can't be included?
Speaker 1:You want to secure a leadership support team. Leading a special needs ministry is absolutely impossible if your lead pastor and your board is not on the team. You want to make sure that they are committed to serving people with disabilities, because they're going to help drive the ministry. You want to build a supportive team. You want to have a core group of people and then you want to have branches of volunteers that do different kinds of things. You want to seek out training and resources. Utilize those resources. You want to seek out training and resources. Utilize those resources.
Speaker 1:There are lots and lots of ministries like the one that I serve. Under that a good portion of what I do is train and equip churches. Why? Because you need support, because you can't do it on your own and your volunteers are going to quit if they don't know, if they feel like they don't know what they're doing. Are going to quit if they don't know, if they feel like they don't know what they're doing. Also, remember not to overwhelm yourself and your volunteers. Again, build those foundational pieces like physical accessibility, communication within the church, educating your people, being aware of your stereotypes and your perceptions and how you're including people. And then build your team. Get your resources and just check in with the people that you are welcoming, serving and including, because they're going to help you to know the necessities so that you don't waste your time on the extras and when I say waste your time on the extras, it's just things that just might not be necessary. They might be nice but they might not be essential. So you have to decide what is best for you, your church and the people that you serve. I really hope that these tips really inspire you to take these actionable steps whether you're just starting out or you're in the midst of it to take actionable steps towards a more inclusive and impactful ministry serving people with special needs.
Speaker 1:Small changes can lead to significant transformations, and we're not just. These are life transformations. So remember, you're serving what God calls indispensable. We can do it with foundations and we can make impactful, significant transformations. Do I know everything about disability ministry? Do I have all the answers? Have I done everything perfectly? I have absolutely not, but we are going to continue this conversation so that people of all abilities can have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve him with the gifts that he has given them. For deeper dives into these topics and more, check out indispensablepeoplecom and visit Amazon to purchase the books the Indispensable Kid and Gospel. Accessibility and the indispensable people.
