Disability Awareness Sunday FAQs
1. Why should we celebrate Disability Awareness Sunday?
1 in 4 people lives with a disabilityDisability-Awareness-Sunday-FAQ….
People with disabilities are less likely to attend church regularly due to ableism (inaccessible buildings, unwelcome attitudes).
Disability Awareness Sunday changes attitudes, priorities, and practices.
“We recognize that God made all creation and saw that it was good… Inclusiveness means openness, acceptance, and support that enables all persons to participate in the life of the Church, the community, and the world.” (BOD ¶140)Disability-Awareness-Sunday-FAQ…
BOD ¶265: Disability Awareness Sunday is observed annually. It celebrates the gifts of people with disabilities and calls for their full inclusion. An offering may be received to fund accessibilityDisability-Awareness-Sunday-FAQ….
2. When should we celebrate it?
If no date is set by your annual conference: choose your own.
Popular times: mid-October, early November, early February.
Consider tying to awareness observances:
Autism Acceptance Month (April)
Mental Health Awareness Month (May)
Deaf Awareness Week (May) or Month (September)
Blind Awareness Month (October)
Disability Employment Awareness Month (October)
Check conference disability committee pages for dates/resources.
3. Who should plan and lead?
Lay leaders and admin chairs with buy-in from pastors.
Disabled members and families must be on the planning team.
Accessibility/Disability Ministries teams should take the lead.
Consider hiring disabled consultants or panels to educate and lead.
Include children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of the service (speakers, ushers, musicians, liturgists). Example: Deaf leader signs scripture, with ASL interpreter voicing.
4. Worship service, music, and liturgies
Center worship on God’s love and acceptance of all.
Choose scripture and hymns around diversity, unity, inclusion.
Avoid hymns equating disability with sin or charity. Use the Anti-ableist Liturgies guide.
Include children’s stories with disabled characters (e.g., list here).
Teach prayers/songs in sign language (resources here).
Take an offering for the DMC Advance #3021054.
Print bulletins in large bold font; avoid fragrances; use gluten-free bread for communion.
5. Resources for planning
DMC Worship Planning – liturgies, hymns, sermon starters.
6. How should we prepare?
Conduct an Accessibility Audit Disability-Awareness-Sunday-FAQ….
Involve trustees and disabled members.
Rent ramps, borrow assistive listening devices (resources), hire interpreters.
Advertise broadly and provide transportation.
7. Other activities
Adult forum on mental health, Alzheimer’s, or vision loss.
Sunday School visits with disabled community members.
Potluck: gluten-free, vegan, allergy-safe options; share recipes.
Host a Disability Awareness Week with:
Film & discussion (Crip Camp + curriculum)
Disability open mic
Art show by disabled artists
Service project (build a wheelchair ramp).
8. Should we do a disability simulation?
No. Simulations create pity or trivialize real experiences.
Better: pair participants with disabled persons to complete real tasks (audit with a wheelchair user, test church website with a blind person using screen reader).
9. Recommended Books
Eric Carter, Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities
Rebecca Holland, The UMC and Disability
Mary Johnson (ed.), Disability Awareness: Do It Right!
Justin Hancock, The Julian Way
Emily Ladau, Demystifying Disability
Naomi Mitchum, Every Child Can Bloom
Christine Napper, A Kid’s Book About Disabilities (link)
Barbara Newman, Autism and Your Church
Leo Yates Jr., Deaf Ministries
Robert Walker (ed.), Speaking Out
Alice Wong, Disability Visibility
For more children’s books: list here.
Author: Deaconess Lynn Swedberg
Revised: July 29, 2024