Not too long ago, I was giving a parish mission in San Diego California. My best friend of 51 years indicated that he was planning on attending one of the sessions.

In recent years, this vibrant, energetic and enthusiastic child of God has been brought to his knees. He has been inflicted with the crippling disease of Multiple Sclerosis. In just a couple of years he has gone from jogging three miles a day to using a cane, then a walker and now a wheelchair. It has been heartbreaking to see him attempt to remain active and involved with his family and friends even as various functions are diminished or even lost.

As he approached the church that evening, I saw him go from excitement to absolute frustration. All entrances to the church, and there were four, were inaccessible to those with walkers or wheelchairs. As he struggled to get into the house of God, the little self-esteem he had remaining was stripped away.

Why is it that too often we as a church are not prepared to welcome a person with a disability into all the celebrations and obligations of our faith? Quite often for those with disabilities, bars are more accessible than altars and local theaters more welcoming than parishes. The accommodations for disabilities routinely found in the secular world raise people's expectations as they approach the church. But a growing sense of exclusion forces many people with disabilities to cut themselves off from their religious roots.

Recently Mary Jane Owen, Executive Director of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities gave some current examples of situations in parishes around the country.

A wife gives up hope that a ramp will be built to allow her husband to join the family at Mass.

A mother sheds tears of frustration seeking to educate her parish leadership on common sense ways of accommodating her child who is blind.

A couple who is deaf, search for a parish in which they can share the Good News with their hearing children.

Parents cannot understand why their inquisitive daughter who happens to be mentally impaired is refused the opportunity to explore her religious heritage.

Ancient prejudices must be broken and changed! Too many people with disabilities have awaited their turn to worship and to serve their Lord only to find that the Good News of Jesus and the blessings of our Catholic faith have been proclaimed behind barriers impossible to overcome, and their potential contributions have gone unnoticed.

Building a ramp is not enough. Attitudinal barriers need to be assessed and addressed before a community can overcome the physical barriers to participation. Each of us has a need to belong and to be included. People with disabilities want to be included and involved just as other parishioners. They have gifts and talents to offer the worshiping community.

If you would like more information on how to create a plan to assist those with disabilities as well as helpful hints on assessing the membership of your parish, your facility and neighborhood, please contact the Office of Evangelization at (337) 439-7426.

Glenn Harmon © 2002