"Who Causes the Blind to See": Disability and quality of religious life

Abstract

Persons with physical or mental disabilities often turn to religious institutions for comfort and belonging. They are not, however, always openly welcomed into religious circles. Many churches and synagogues fail to make the necessary accommodations for parishioners with disabilities and some show covert signs of hostility towards them. Possible reasons for this exclusion are examined, theorising that they stem from the most ancient of beliefs about the nature of disability and its relationship to God. Sources within the Jewish and Christian faiths are examined and it is hypothesised that there are four central views inherent in these religions that act as barriers to those with disabilities. These beliefs must be challenged so that all may find fulfillment and inclusion within their religious faiths. Religious leaders and followers must also acknowledge and redress the fact that such beliefs have contributed to the establishment of disability and an oppressed political minority within Western society.